If anyone wants a decent history of gold-as-currency, Peter Bernstein's The Power of Gold: The History of an Obsession is pretty good (second edition has a pref

If anyone wants a decent history of gold-as-currency, Peter Bernstein's The Power of Gold: The History of an Obsession is pretty good (second edition has a preface by Volker): > Incorporating myth, history and contemporary investigation, Bernstein tells the story of how human beings have become intoxicated, obsessed, enriched, impoverished, humbled and proud for the sake of gold. From the past to the future, Bernstein's portrayal of gold is intimately linked to the character of humankind. * https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/249245 https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/249245 People may be more familiar with his book Against the Gods: The Remarkable Story of Risk: * https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/128429.Against_the_Gods https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/128429.Against_the_Gods * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_L._Bernstein https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_L._Bernstein