Niall Ferguson’s popular book, The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World, made it’s debut as a documentary film tonight via PBS.
I heard about the book some time ago but I still wasn’t able to get hold of a copy. I also heard that the film is so well done and that it might be one of the best finance based documentaries we will ever see.
So if you are a novice to the financial markets wondering just what the hell happened in 2008, I highly suggest you check it out. It’s an excellent synopsis of how money came to be, how we used it, abused it, and eventually let our greed (nearly?) choke the life from our financial markets.
Here’s an excerpt from PBS.org about the film:
One week before a new President who campaigned on a promise to fix the economy takes office, public media provider WNET.ORG is putting the meaning of money into context – where it came from, where it goes, and why it has always been (and always will be) the fulcrum of civilization. THE ASCENT OF MONEY, a two-hour documentary based on the newly-released book The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World (Penguin Group USA), will premiere on Tuesday, January 13 at 9 p.m. (ET) on PBS (check local listings). The film is written and presented by the bestselling author, economist, historian, and Harvard professor Niall Ferguson. An expanded, four-hour version of THE ASCENT OF MONEY will air on PBS later in 2009.
In THE ASCENT OF MONEY, Ferguson – whose series War of the World garnered critical attention last summer – traces the evolution of money and demonstrates that financial history is the essential back-story behind all history. “Everyone needs to understand the complex history of money and our relationship to it,” he says. “By learning how societies have continually created and survived financial crises, we can find solid solutions to today’s worldwide economic emergency.” As he traverses historic financial hot spots around the world, Ferguson illuminates fundamental economic concepts and speaks with leading experts in the financial world.
The Ascent of Money can be seen in it’s entirety at PBS.org by clicking here.
Tags: Consumer Education, Documentary Films, financial crisis, Financial History, Money, money matters, Personal Finance Tips, world economy
