Who controls our nation's paper currency? H.W. Brands concentrates on five men -- Alexander Hamilton, Nicholas Biddle, Jay Cooke, Jay Gould, and J.P. Morgan -- who sought that power as he explains how commerce grew in the fledgling nation and U.S. monetary policy was formed. With dramatic stories like that of Jay Gould's manipulation of the gold market, Lloyd James gets to do more than recite facts. He's always easy to listen to, bringing history alive as stories while avoiding melodrama and making sure the facts come across. THE MONEY MEN makes the topic of economics understandable and interesting, relating it to overall trends in American history.
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2006
Duration: 5 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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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