David McWilliams

Is it reputation?

What about crypto?

Does that offer anything new to the world or is it basically only a reinvention of old stuff?

And is our understanding about money simply our understanding of loads and loads of innovation in human behavior over hundreds of years, which has led us to this financial architecture, which we know to be central banking and bank regulation and all that sort of malarkey, John.

It is fascinating stuff.

Why don't we go straight away to Brendan?

Yeah.

Let's get into the meat and drink of this thing, and then you and I can come back and have a chat.

We're going straight now to the United States to talk to Brendan Greedy.

Now, as a regular listener to the podcast, you will know that I have spent probably the last five years, not just podcasting, but at least three of those years trying to research a book about the story of money, the history of money, follow what you will.

And anybody who's written a book will know that there are some very dark, dark moments when you just look into your research and you think, where the hell is this going?

Can I turn it around?

Is this relevant?

Is this not relevant?

Do I have to throw this stuff away?

Am I lost?

Am I talking absolute shite?

Writing absolute shite.

And then every now and then when I was in those weeds, I used to pick up the phone to our next guest, Brendan Greedy, one of the finances world's best financial correspondent, wonderful monetary economist, has now abandoned scribbling, not abandoned scribbling, but taken a back seat to scribbling, has gone into full-time academia, doing PhDs, all that carry on,

But I am delighted to tell you that Brendan knows so much about money and he has produced his own tome, which is going to be published next week.