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Soft Currency Economics is the little book that could logically, in both real and nominal terms, legitimately challenge many of the core held beliefs of the mainstream classical and neo-classical schools of economics. It is a corner stone publication for the new, widely popular fresh approach to economics that has come to be called Modern Monetary Theory (MMT). It explains with actual facts, not theory, and with non-technical language, the true operational realities of our monetary system (central banks and private banks). The author, a 40 year 'insider' in monetary operations, and a very successful fixed income hedge fund manager, wrote this book in 1993 after witnessing the markets drastically discount sovereign debt on the errant belief that market forces could force nations into default on debt payable in their own currency, and that austerity was the only solution. This was contrary to the author's understanding of what are called fiat currencies, where governments always have the ability to meet all obligations in a timely manner. As a result of this experience, the author took up the task of educating government officials on how the monetary system operated with the hope that with this understanding they would be free to ensure that the government acted for the public purpose and achieved their stated goals of full employment and price stability. Initially published in 1993, this book will utterly convince many readers that what they thought they knew about monetary policy is wrong. The book describes: what is money; why debt monetization and the money multiplier are myths; how fiscal and monetary policy can be used effectuate full employment; deficits do not cause countries to default on their debt unless that is the decision. Review: Warren Mosler is a financial expert who initially proposed the MMT concept - In order to explain how the finance world in which he participated actually worked, Warren apparently took an insightful analysis of transactions which are involved. From his experiences and insights, he conceived the idea of soft currency economics. It is most interesting that among all of the money managers you have ever heard of, none other that Warren seems to have any significant insight into just how our money system works. This book is well written and a quick read even for the non-expert. Warren and Dr Bill Mitchell are generally credited with formulation of MMT and I think that each has ideas with which the other is generally in agreement. Both Mosler and Mitchell have web sites which provide useful information to anyone wishing to learn more about MMT. Review: Good introduction, concise, very technical - This is a good introduction to Modern Monetary Theory by the person most responsible for developing it. This is not written for the casual reader. It helps to have completed a college course in macroeconomics before taking this on. The more casual reader can still distill the essence of MMT from this book; however there are less technical books on MMT, that are presented in friendlier terms, for those who are interested. Whether one agrees or disagrees with MMT, this book provides a lot of food for thought for anyone worried today about multi-trillion dollar government spending, the deficit, and inflation. Fascinating book, highly recommended, for those who don’t mind the technical aspects of this.
| Best Sellers Rank | #498,189 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #152 in Money & Monetary Policy (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.2 out of 5 stars 262 Reviews |
W**N
Warren Mosler is a financial expert who initially proposed the MMT concept
In order to explain how the finance world in which he participated actually worked, Warren apparently took an insightful analysis of transactions which are involved. From his experiences and insights, he conceived the idea of soft currency economics. It is most interesting that among all of the money managers you have ever heard of, none other that Warren seems to have any significant insight into just how our money system works. This book is well written and a quick read even for the non-expert. Warren and Dr Bill Mitchell are generally credited with formulation of MMT and I think that each has ideas with which the other is generally in agreement. Both Mosler and Mitchell have web sites which provide useful information to anyone wishing to learn more about MMT.
G**R
Good introduction, concise, very technical
This is a good introduction to Modern Monetary Theory by the person most responsible for developing it. This is not written for the casual reader. It helps to have completed a college course in macroeconomics before taking this on. The more casual reader can still distill the essence of MMT from this book; however there are less technical books on MMT, that are presented in friendlier terms, for those who are interested. Whether one agrees or disagrees with MMT, this book provides a lot of food for thought for anyone worried today about multi-trillion dollar government spending, the deficit, and inflation. Fascinating book, highly recommended, for those who don’t mind the technical aspects of this.
J**E
The original MMT synthesis updated
This short work is extremely clearly and simply written. It is a brilliant synthesis of a number of strands of economic thought, making it the first work developing the Modern Monetary Theory (MT) approach to economics. It tells the truth about fiat currencies and how they work, and provides much clear insight into the workings of the banking system and the relationships between the Fed and the Treasury. If you're interested in macroeconomics and in the Modern Monetary Theory approach to it, then you must read this book. There are others that are also essential, including the author's The Seven Deadly Innocent Frauds, and also important works by Professors L. Randall Wray, and Bill Mitchell. But this updated version of the original Soft Currency Economics is a place to start opening your eyes to an approach to economics that can free the United States from the bonds of austerity in fiscal policy, and allow us to create a Green New Deal for America.
A**R
Loved the book!
I finally understand a bit more about how the goverment operates. This book shines a light into the fiat currency and how it works. It also shatters the illusions we have about how we think the goverment spending, deficits works vs how it reallt works today. Get this book now!
A**R
Not enough Modern monetary theory as I thought...
Not as detailed on concepts and solutions that modern monetary theory could bring our post industrial society as I thought it would be by other reviews and description. You may want to read other books on the subject and Ellen Brown's, Public Bank Solution to see where we can go from here
T**G
Real World Central Banking - It Really Matters to You!
Almost all mainstream economists proved themselves totally useless at forecasting the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). Then they have the hide to talk about how we need government austerity even at the same time as the private sector is deleveraging or increasing it's savings. You hear them talk about how the government has to balance its books like a household. You have heard them talk about how inflation will be out of control because of government spending. Why on earth would you believe people who have proven themselves wrong time and again? You know the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results. That's why you have to read "Soft Currency Economics". It's about real central banking and fiat currencies like the US dollar and GB Pound. It explains why the US is not like Greece and once you read it you realise taht half those mainstream economists hae no idea what they are talking about, or worse still, they are just ideological spruikers who have some special interest group at heart, and not Joe Main-Street. I am very pleased to have read this book and while the contents initially seem unbelieveable, you realise that they are more accurate than nearly all those mainstream economists.
P**B
How I stopped worrying and learned to love the deficit
In the sad state of affairs that is our current discourse on the ways to help the American economy, there are two main camps - the deficit hawks and the deficit doves. Both agree that deficits are somehow "bad" - they only disagree about the ways and timeframes of reducing those deficits. The truth is, the deficits are not inherently good or bad, although for a normally functioning modern economy they are actually necessary (with the size being "right" - more on that in the book). To think that the deficits are inherently "bad" is like thinking that pressing on the gas more than on the brake while driving a car is inherently "bad" - yet we all know this is nonsense. Deficit by definition is the difference (in $) between what the government takes out of the non-government sector (mostly by taxing it) and what it injects into the non-govt sector (mostly by spending). In normal modern economies, the non-govt sector has a net desire to save dollars, and as a whole it can achieve that only if the government accommodates with a deficit - this is true simply by accounting identity. Just like a car most of the time can only more forward when you press on the gas more than on the brake, so is our economy most of the time moves forward only when the govt is running a deficit. Sometimes the deficit needs to be larger - like when going up a hill, and sometimes (though rarely) smaller or even a surplus - when going downhill or trying to stop. This is a short analogy to the view of economy popularized by the economic school of thought called MMT (Modern Monetary Theory) of which Warren Mosler is the godfather. Read his book to understand much better the world about you.
A**R
Brilliant insight into how the economy really works
Brilliant thinking with clarity and devoid of any pre-conceived notions. our mainstream ( left or right ) economic paradigm is still back in the age when supply of gold determined the supply of money. MMT shifts the focus from accounting and balance sheets to the productive capacity of the real economy. Liberating.
F**O
Monetary theory from out of the box
If you believe in it or not, is quite a different story. Nevertheless, this book helps to get a different perspective on monetary theory or simply what money is about. At the end of the day it is only a story in the collective imagination of people. And the story in this book is not told by academy researcher, but an actual beneficiary of the our current monetary system..
B**N
Explains basic MMt concepts well in the beginning. Gets ...
Explains basic MMt concepts well in the beginning. Gets a little more complex in the 2nd half. Make sure you also read 7 Deadly Innocent Frauds by the same author.
J**C
Mental wrestling match.
This one was a bit over my level with frequent use of jargon I didn't understand. Will have to go back and read some more basic ones and try again.
3**D
Five Stars
Radically changed the way I think about money, public finances, fiat money and monetary and fiscal policy.
A**R
興味深い
様々な洞察に満ち溢れていると感じた red pill という表現は興味深い
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