I read Niall Ferguson’s history of finance and the banking system, The Ascent of Money, when it came out last year. I found it a breezy historical survey. Tonight on PBS, we’ll see Niall Ferguson turn his book into video. I’ve read several of Ferguson’s books. He’s an engaging writer. In interviews, he comes off as a very smart but personable academic. If you’re interested in money, the financial system, and dry British humor you might want to check this out. Tonight is the first of four episodes to be broadcast on Wednesday nights. Check your local PBS listings for times.
For some reason, I am incapable of paying attention to anything with a dollar sign in front of it. Even in a novel, too much talk of money and I put the book down. I never get schemes to move money around–that sort of thing. After countless explanations of money laundering, which I need to learn for something I’m writing, I still picture soggy dough.
Soggy dough! I love it! While dollar signs make you snooze, Patti, I like to discover the ways money works so I can make more of it to pay for my book, CD, and DVD addictions.
I checked, it’s 1 hour, on here in SoCal at 9:00. Thanks for the tip, George!
Also on tonight on our PBS station is a new Nova episode: Musical Minds, which looks interesting.
I don’t watch much TV, but I when I do watch it’s usually PBS.
We watched it, and it was entertaining. Seemed he was going the James Burke “Connections” route (not quite as successfully as that show, I think) with the production style and script. I hope there is a little more explanation of some of he terms for us dumb regular citizens, I’ve already had to make a few guesses at what he meant. I’ll be watching next week.
I found THE ASCENT OF MONEY moved fairly quickly. I’m sure the producers don’t want to get bogged down in detail and definitions.