Author : 波音
What is it about : The rise and fall of Chinese dynasties through the lens of monetary matters were described and analysed in this book. Monetary matters included such resources like silver, silk, salt, porcelain, land and much more; the book aimed to show for instance, the scarcity or abundance of these resources affected the fortunes of emperors past, more than any political intrigues or the allegedly "wisdom", "greatness" or "stubbornness" of those famous emperors or ministers.
Some thoughts after having read the book : The author successfully illustrated that the bigger picture or background of "money" which dictated the actions, limitations and strategies which the dynastic emperors/officials could deploy when it came to war, trade and keeping the citizens generally happy. Take for example, the building of the Great Wall - the objective was to be able to keep some form of peace with the northern neighbors (The Huns); the solutions could be (i) build more walls; (ii) attack and destroy; (iii) pay The Huns off with money, deer skins, beautiful Chinese women; or (iv) set up trade centers to mutually benefit each area's residents. Some clever dudes (Emperors) decided that all (i) to (iv) took time and money, but the last choice (iv) would involve the least expenditure in terms of loss of lives and loss of resources but with the longest possible period of peace. A case in point that the emperors had to balance the books.
Would I recommend this book to you : I found the book to be most rewarding and easy to read and I had gained major insights into the inner workings of the money minds of dynasties past. I would highly recommend this book to readers of any background, to take this book out and look at history from a totally new and fresh perspective.
