Using a warm, personal tone, narrator Nicholas Guy Smith makes this dense history of the evolution of money accessible. His precise diction and British accent help establish a rhythm in the detailed explanations of the origins of currency. Listeners will appreciate his deliberate delivery, which makes sense of the kind of complex sentences that are often found in financial titles. Smith's variations in emphasis also serve to help the listener interpret the various case studies that support the book. His use of a slightly higher pitch and nasal tone for quotations from renowned economists shows his creativity in recounting the history of modern money.
Pub Date: March 4, 2014
Duration: 12 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780804191548
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
GENERAL HISTORY | GENERAL BUSINESS | BUSINESS | WORLD | ECONOMICS | HISTORY
The readers can't compensate for the unbearably pompous prose style of this extended parable about corporate politics and strategy.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
An engaging experience.
This audiobook deals with everything from the historic investments that led to world-dominating companies, such as the Chinese technology company Tencent, to predicting the products and services of the future. An audiobook of such complexity requires a narrator who can handle the task, and David Thorpe manages it admirably. Thorpe uses his masterly voice, which sits somewhere between that of a BBC World Service presenter and an easy, relaxed Home Counties accent, to guide listeners through a sea of numbers, acronyms, and terms such as YP, RPS, and market cap. Rather than simply reading, Thorpe presents the work with excitement and enthusiasm, and this enjoyment transfers to the listener.
An engaging experience.Pub Date: Feb. 20, 2026
Duration: 13 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781668103425
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: March 17, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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