Though checks' popularity is now waning in favor of electronic payments, checks were, for much of the twentieth century, the most widely used noncash payment method in the United States. How did such a relatively inefficient form of payment become so dominant? This article traces the historical...

Foreword -- Robert M. Solow -- Introduction -- Financial crises: a hardy perennial -- The anatomy of a typical crisis -- Speculative manias -- Fueling the flames : the expansion of credit -- The critical stage : when the bubble is about to pop -- Euphoria and paper wealth -- Bernie madoff :...

The financial crisis that started in 2007 is a concern for the world. Some countries are in depression and governments are desperately trying to find solutions. In the absence of thorough debate on the emotions of money, bitter disputes, hatred and 'moralizing' can be misunderstood. New...