Sunday, February 27, 2011

Money Wisdom #004

"...there is an unceasing conflict between the interests of debtors, who seek to enlarge the quantity of money and who seek busily to find acceptable substitutes, and the interests of creditors, who seek to maintain or increase the value of money by limiting its supply, by refusing substitutes or accepting them with great reluctance, and generally trying in all sorts of ways to safeguard the quality of money."

Glyn Davies  A History of Money (1994) (p. 29)

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Money Wisdom #003

"... it is not present expectations that correspond to future events but future events that are shaped by present expectations."
George Soros The Alchemy of Finance (1987)
Quoted in Naill Ferguson The Ascent of Money (1994) (p.316)

Not the catchiest of phrases to be sure, but when Soros speaks you'd be wise to listen. Money, time and belief; you could spend a lot of time trying to explain how and why you feel like you do about them :o)

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Money Wisdom #002

"Loving and fighting are the oldest, most exciting of man's activities, so that it is perfectly natural to find that payments associated with both are amongst the earliest form of money."
Glyn Davies A History of Money (1994) p.25

I think I'd say 'Fucking and Killing', but then I can be quite coarse at times. If you read one book on Money - and lets face it, Money is going to be important in your life whether or not you want it to be - make it this one from Professor Davies. Its a work of wisdom.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Money Wisdom #001

"Remember: it's not owning property that gives you security; it just gives your creditors security. Real security comes from having a steady income"

Niall Ferguson The Ascent of Money (2008) p.278