Medici Money by Tim Parks

[Hula Hoop]

I'm in the middle of this book and enjoying it more than I thought it would.  It describes the invention of banking, including concepts like interest (which was very controversial as usury was a mortal sin), double entry book keeping, stocks and other things in renaissance Italy.  I had no idea of the origins of all this and, like many mustachians, took our modern banking and investing system for granted.  It's especially fascinating when Parks talks about the relationship between banking and the Church and banking and art.  I highly recommend this book.

[Zamboni]

Thank you for posting this. I recently saw a small part of the Medici's accumulation of art in Florence . . . it's amazing.

[BicycleB]

Sounds good - ordered from library.

As a result found "Money and Power", a history of business (corporate business from a Western history  perspective) with one chapter per episode. Episode one is St. Godric, a British sailing entrepreneur in the 1080s who retired to become a monk after feeling guilty about his profits. Episode Two, the Medicis!