One of the foremost financial writers of his generation, Peter Bernstein has the unique ability to synthesize intellectual history and economics with the theory and practice of investment management. Now, with classic titles such as Economist on Wall Street, A Primer on Money, Banking, and Gold, and The Price of Prosperity-which have forewords by financial luminaries and new introductions by the author-you can enjoy some of the best of Bernstein in his earlier Wall Street days. With the proliferation of financial instruments, new areas of instability, and innovative capital market strategies, many economists and investors have lost sight of the fundamentals of the financial system-its strengths as well as its weaknesses. A Primer on Money, Banking, and Gold takes you back to the beginning and sorts out all the pieces. Peter Bernstein skillfully addresses how and why commercial banks lend and invest, where money comes from, how it moves from hand to hand, and the critical role of interest rates. He explores the Federal Reserve System and the consequences of the Fed's actions on the overall economy. But this book is not just about the past. Bernstein's novel perspective on gold and the dollar is critical for today's decision makers, as he provides extensive views on the future of money, banking, and gold in the world economy. This illuminating story about the heart of our economic system is essential reading at a time when developments in finance are more important than ever. In many ways, Bernstein's A Primer on Money, Banking, and Gold can be seen as one long preface to his bestselling The Power of Gold. In A Primer on Money, Banking, and Gold , Bernstein discusses the link that still exists between our money and gold and why. Foreword by Paul A. Volcker. New Introduction. Original Introduction. Part One: The Money Problem. Chapter 1: Why Worry about Money and Gold? Chapter 2: Spending and Financing. Chapter 3: The Price of Money. Part Two: The Creation of Money. Chapter 4: Money in Hand and Money in the Bank. Chapter 5: The Business of Banking. Chapter 6: Bank Credit and Money. Part Three: The Control of Money. Chapter 7: The Federal Reserve System. Chapter 8: Federal Reserve Tools of Control. Chapter 9: Reserve Requirements. Chapter 10: Currency: A Complication. Part Four: Gold. Chapter 11: Gold at Home. Chapter 12: Gold Abroad. Part Five: Theory in Practice. Chapter 13: The Experience of 1938 to 1945. Chapter 14: The Experience of 1945 to 1963. Chapter 15: The Experience of 1966. Conclusion: Money and Gold in the Future. Appendix: Reading the Weekly Federal Reserve Statement. Bibliography. Acknowledgments. Index.