The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the WorldThe Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World
Score Modern
What it's about
Niall Ferguson follows the money through human history, from finance's origins in ancient Mesopotamia to the latest upheavals, arguing that finance is the foundation of human progress.
Why it's worth reading
It spent 26 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists.
You'll love it if you liked
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine
The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's WealthyGood to know
It's a history of finance.
By the numbers
- Readers17 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller47 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #190 of the 198 history books we rank
- #1418 of the 1,647 modern books we rank
- #2672 of the 3,056 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
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Quick answers
Is The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World worth reading?
Yes. It spent 26 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It ranks #2,672 of the 3,056 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 58.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World about?
Niall Ferguson follows the money through human history, from finance's origins in ancient Mesopotamia to the latest upheavals, arguing that finance is the foundation of human progress.
How long does it take to read The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World?
About 14 hours (547 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World?
If you liked it, try Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari, The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis or The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko.