What Has Government Done to Our Money?: and The Case for a 100 Percent Gold Dollar Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Murray N. Rothbard (Author), Jeff Riggenbach (Narrator), Ludwig von Mises Institute (Publisher)

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The Mises Institute is pleased to present this audio edition of Rothbard's most famous monetary essay - the one that has influenced two generations of economists, investors, and business professionals. The Mises Institute has united this book with its natural complement: a detailed reform proposal for a 100 percent gold dollar. "The Case for a 100 Percent Gold Dollar" was written a decade before the last vestiges of the gold standard were abolished. Rothbard's unique plan for making the dollar sound again still holds up. Some people have said that Rothbard tells us what is wrong with money but not what to do about it. Well, with the addition of this essay, the problem and the answer are united in a comprehensive whole.

After presenting the basics of money and banking theory, Rothbard traces the decline of the dollar from the 18th century to the present and provides lucid critiques of central banking, New Deal monetary policy, Nixonian fiat money, and fixed exchange rates. He also provides a blueprint for a return to a 100 percent reserve gold standard. The book made huge theoretical advances. Rothbard was the first to prove that the government, and only the government, can destroy money on a mass scale, and he showed exactly how they go about this dirty deed. But just as importantly, it is beautifully written. He tells a thrilling story because he loves the subject so much.The passion that Murray Rothbard feels for the topic comes through in the prose and transfers to the reader. Readers become excited about the subject and tell others. Students tell professors. Some, like the great Ron Paul of Texas, have even run for political office after having read it.

Listening Length

5 hours and 12 minutes
Author

Murray N. Rothbard
Narrator

Jeff Riggenbach
Audible release date

October 13, 2011
Language

English
Publisher

Ludwig von Mises Institute
ASIN

B005VFSUKQ
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	5 hours and 12 minutes
Author	Murray N. Rothbard
Narrator	Jeff Riggenbach
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	October 13, 2011
Publisher	Ludwig von Mises Institute
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B005VFSUKQ
Best Sellers Rank	#70,192 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #476 in Economics (Audible Books & Originals) #5,066 in Economics (Books)

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4.5 out of 5

170 global ratings

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bookscdsdvdsandcoolstuff

Eye Opening

Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2013

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This is absolutely a wonderful book that is extremely important. I am now convinced that most of the problems we have in society, up to and including the incredible amounts of wealth concentrated at the top of our economic pyramid, find their roots in government debasement of our currency, the scourge of fractional reserve banking, and the consistently irresponsible actions of the Federal Reserve.

I recently read this book, and also Debt: The First 5,000 Years . While I found "Debt" compelling (it is essentially a refutation of books such as Rothbard's) I found "What has Government Done to our Money" far more convincing and tightly argued. Some of our country's most pressing economic problems can trace their roots, at least partially, to the debasement of our nation's currency. This book clearly shows the problems with this approach.

Given the rise in the scope and invasive nature of government, the time for a rediscovery and application of the Austrian view of currency is past due. I do not consider myself entirely a libertarian, but with each passing year living in an America deformed by the policies of Barack Obama I find myself moving more in an Austrian direction.

Modern America, with its unjust wars of aggression, debased currency, invasive government, and completely distorted economy is suffering greatly. Rothbard, Mises, and Hayek provide the most cogent intellectual defense against the most egregious abuses of the modern American state. For this reason alone it is past time these ideas go mainstream, and begin informing our political and economic discussions at the highest level.

5 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Essential Reading on Money/Gold.

Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2009

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If I could only recommend one of Murray Rothbard's excellent books to the average person, it would definitly be his easy to read and thoroughly explanative and concise treatment of money/gold. Dr. Rothbard starts by explaining what money is and how it came into existance, which may seem unnecessary but many professional economists make the mistake of not actually knowing what it really is. Rothbard explains barter, indirect exchange, and why money is much more efficient than these two systems. He talks about what qualities a good currency should have, and why a commodity such as gold can prevent inflation. Some would like to blame the gold standard for problems in our past economy, but Rothbard explains how it was gov't meddling in the gold standard, and thus making it not a true 100% free-market gold standard. He gives a thorough treatment of the monetary breakdown of the West, from the Classical Gold Standard all the way to where we are now, fluctuating fiat currencies. The Second part of the book is Rothbard's case for a 100% Gold Dollar Standard.

7 people found this helpful

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Thomas the Red

Hard to Take the Truth

Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2010

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This book seems to be a collection of parts of other works, but that is fine. The central arguments are simple and powerful, and perhaps of that, it is sure to be ignored. There are no good reasons to continue devaluating our fiat currency by printing bales of money, but the folks in Congress just don't care. And why should they?

I would like to see someone argue point-by-point each of the core positions Rothbard takes, but there are no really reasonable positions that are better or more logical, unless, of course, you really don't care about the consequences of government meddling in the money supply - debt, financial crisis after financial crisis, wars, and an entitlement society that cannot sustain itself. I am convinced that returning to the gold standard, correctly, would save the West, but that won't happen because a few self-appointed "elites" refuse to explain why Rothbard's ideas are wrong, and cling fanatically to the easy way of doing things - tax more, spend more, and ignore the debts.

4 people found this helpful

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Peter Zilper

Need to understand how money works?

Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2012

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Ever wonder why eggs, a comb, or your shoes cost a multiple of they were priced at in your youth? It's because our money is worth a lot less. But why should our money be worth less now? This book does a good job explaining this concept which is really a rather complicated subject. It also provides a very strong argument for a coin based 100 percent gold standard through a well written historical perspective. The United States Constitution declares, in Article I, Section 10, "No State shall... make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts". Yet, every state in the Union is in direct violation of the constitution. Throughout the 20th century the US and the World have moved farther and farther from this standard where now every advanced government is on fiat non backed currency. With these shifts we've seen massive runaway inflation and debt that has caused major financial bubbles and conflicts.

9 people found this helpful

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Daniel Morris

Good so far, easy to grasp!

Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2010

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This book does an excellent job of explaining the very complex system of money, banking, and government money. I haven't got through the whole book yet, but this is the strong point for me. I could care less about the authors recomendations of liberalizing money in a free market system, but the point is made well. If you are a free market proponent and want to have arguments for liberal money markets, this book is for you. If you don't care about that but you're curious about how money is created and issued by governments and banks, this book is for you too!

6 people found this helpful

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Fish

Great introductory book for anyone

Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2009

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The title makes it seem as though the whole book is about government's intervention in economics. While Rothbard does present an impeccable case against it, the book gives the reader a very good look at the basics as well. The book also gives an example of a truly free economic society and shows how far modern societies have strayed from that as a result of government intervention.

The fact that it is such an important subject and so easy to understand from his writing is what makes this book so good, in my opinion. I recommend book this for anyone interested in money (who isnt?) and I will probably give it to others as a gift so they don't have to go out of their way.

3 people found this helpful

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Andrew MacLeod

Brilliant Work

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 2, 2021

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This is one of the great works of economics (or at least that's how it should be viewed). In my view it has three great strengths: its clarity, comprehensiveness, and content.

1. Clarity
Many people have said about Rothbard, and it rings true, that he is an incredibly clear writer and makes complex ideas more easily comprehensible. People from New York tend to be forthright and leave you in no doubt what they think, and he is certainly easier to read than the Austrians from Austria, yet his content is just as brilliant and innovative.

2. Comprehensiveness
This is a real treatise on money, starting right at its origin and working systematically from there to enunciate to the reader a logical and complete journey through the system of money and banking in a free society. He also compares different monetary systems at the appropriate points.

3. Content
Though built on deep scholarship, Rothbard's ideas are highly original. Thorough reasoning means he takes positive views of the free market to their logical normative conclusions.

This book is certainly different to other views about money that you can find, and the classical gold standard is certainly a more achievable goal for people with broadly the same concerns about the fiat system. However I would posit Rothbard and this work should be present in any serious discussion of monetary policy.

Cliente Kindle

Esclarecedor

Reviewed in Brazil on March 26, 2019

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Muito técnico, mas ao mesmo tempo numa linguagem leve e descontraída, lança luz sobre a política monetária e seus impactos na sociedade.

One person found this helpful

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Shiladitya Das

Short, Revealing, Brilliant...book.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 7, 2017

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A brilliant book for anyone wanting to know a short synopsis of how money works, the monetary history of the 20th century and why we need to get back to gold.

DarkKnight

It is a Libertarian Bible on money and finance. ...

Reviewed in India on December 29, 2016

Verified Purchase

It is a Libertarian Bible on money and finance. Most essential reading for anyone who claims to be banking or finance professional.

Hans Mohrmann

Standardwerk

Reviewed in Germany on September 21, 2013

Verified Purchase

Eine kurze Geschichte des Geldes. Verständlich geschrieben, übersichtlich, ohne wissenschaftstheoretischen Firlefanz und auch für Leser, die kein Studium der Nationalökonomie absolviert haben, ohne weiteres nachzuvollziehen. Für kleines Geld ein Büchlein, dem weiteste Verbreitung zu wünschen ist.

One person found this helpful

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