The End of Money

Counterfeiters, Preachers, Techies, Dreamers--and the Coming Cashless Society

By: David Wolman

Narrated by: Don Hagen

Length: 8 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

Say good-bye to your beloved Benjamins, because the world is going cashless. So says David Wolman, and in The End of Money, he explores the drastic implications. How is it happening? What's at stake? Why does it matter? Each chapter of this timely and fascinating audiobook focuses on a specific aspect of the coming cashlessness. Its cast of compelling characters includes an end-times fundamentalist who views the growing obsolescence of cash as a sign of the coming rapture; an Icelandic artist whose claim to fame illustrates the complicated relationship between cash and nationalism; an American libertarian and coin-maker convicted on federal charges for the distribution of "Liberty" coins and Ron Paul dollars; and an Indian software engineer (self-billed as "the assassin of cash") whose firm is enabling digital payment methods that are lifting the living standards of thousands of poor New Dehli residents via their cell phones. Raising the stakes with a personal experiment, Wolman goes (almost) a full year without using cash at all. All told, The End of Money offers everything there is to love about popular nonfiction, rendering a complex subject entertaining and easily approachable for a wide audience while proving the ultimate adventurousness inherent in a curiosity about the workings of the world.

©2012 David Wolman (P)2012 Gildan Media, LLC

Fascinating Book on Cash and Its Eventual Demise

Would you consider the audio edition of The End of Money to be better than the print version?

I rarely

What other book might you compare The End of Money to and why?

Wolman writes in the Malcolm Gladwell style -- mixing science/history with contemporary observation.

Have you listened to any of Don Hagen???s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No. But Hagen did a fine job narrating.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Wolman's personal anecdotes about trying to live a year without using cash put the entire thesis of the book into context.

Any additional comments?

Wolman mixes a very fascinating discussion of the history of cash, with a forward-looking exploration of where society is going in its use of cash. He envisions the end of the use of physical cash, and all of the benefits that would entail (counterfeiting, benefits for the poor, and even cutting down on germs). In the midst of all of this, Wolman himself tries to live without using physical cash. Wolman writes in a very engaging way, with hip and interesting asides. His book is populated with odd characters who help explore his thesis.

Bit of a disappointment

Would you try another book from David Wolman and/or Don Hagen?

Probably not

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

More speculation about the future of money

Do you think The End of Money needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Yes, needs to talk about the future of money

Any additional comments?

The book gives a good overview on the subject of money and how it is changing nowadays. It includes many interesting stories that illustrate the different perspectives people have on money.

Overall however for me the book was a bit of a disappointment. I was hoping it would go more into speculation about what we can expect and what different future version of money can be. Bitcoin is hardly mentioned.

Great Insight on the future of money

Would you consider the audio edition of The End of Money to be better than the print version?

I listen to audio books while driving. I could never read the print version in the car.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

Great information on how mobile money is being used today

a review of % and a basic glimpse of non physical$

A generalized bore of the history of currency and the basic options for a non currency world.

Poorly constructed rehash of econ 101

What disappointed you about The End of Money?

This book is a rare disappointment in my otherwise enjoyable Audible experience. The themes are poorly constructed and do not land any solid points. Obviously, the way that we use money has changed and will continued to change in the age of the Internet. However, David Wolman makes very few points about the ramifications of these changes.

What could David Wolman have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Sketch out some themes, reinforce them with data and actual interviews (not remembrances of conversations).

What about Don Hagen’s performance did you like?

Don Hagen read the material well. An easy voice to listen to.