Frozen Desire: The Meaning of Money

Not much short of a masterpiece, although a fairly modest book in its ambition. Its triumph - apart from in its erudition and style - is in its conception. Uniquely, as far as I am aware, this book attempts a cultural definition of money, and shatters the pretension of economics as a science. Utterly convincing and compelling in equal measure. It is not without out the odd flaw (a dodgy assertion, a specious argument, an unflattering revelation about its author) but I have already read it twice and doubtless will read it again. Over the years I have bought extra copies to foist on friends and colleagues. For the casual browser on LibraryThing, all I can say as an online stranger is that I urge you to read this book - moreso than any show more other I have read. show less

An excellent historical-philosophical-literary look at the growing power of money in our world, and a plea for sanity. "Humanity itself is transforming into the dragon of the Nibelungen, squatting in a filthy cave amid heaps of dusty treasure." (Interestingly, I found this book reduced to $2, as further evidence of the disengagement of price and value).

James Meek, a British writer and journalist, has chosen to discuss , James Buchan’s “Frozen Desire: The Meaning of Money ", on FiveBooks (http://five-books.com) as one of the top five on his subject - The Death of Empires, saying that:

“…A very unusual book … James Buchan talks about what money is and its use. But he also adds this extra layer, which is his own experience of money... And, you know, bitterness is a flavour and the fact that his reminiscences have a surprisingly bitter flavour add, I think, to the charm of the book. …”

The full interview is available here: http://thebrowser.com/books/interviews/james-meek

Money