Once I saw George Selgin referenced on page 7, the paper dollar criticised on page 8 and a Zim$100 trillion note on page 12, I knew I would enjoy Ouch!: Ignorance is Bliss, Except when It Hurts- What You Don’t Know About Money and Why It Matters (More Than You Think)
. It’s a wonderful read.
From the jacket:
We live in a world dominated by a system that most of us aren’t aware of, never mind understand. When it comes to money and how it really works, most of us are too busy, too bored or too bewildered to think about it, despite being at the sharp end of the consequences. We simply don’t recognise the game that is being played out in front of us. Well check your pockets; you’re in for a nasty shock.
OUCH! is your entertaining answer to financial fear, ignorance or confusion. Quintessentially irreverent but with a deadly serious message – ultimately it tells you how to protect your hard earned cash and save yourself from financial meltdown.
Paul Knott manages to simultaneously refer to some serious literature and write a fun and enjoyable book: that’s quite a feat. I read all 224 pages in three sittings. If you want to grasp money, economics, why financial professionals let you down and how to invest for yourself, I thoroughly recommend it. I can’t think of a more enjoyable précis of thousands of pages I have wrestled through over 13 years.
