The Curse Of Cash (Paperback-2018)

From the New York Times bestselling author of This Time Is Different, “a fascinating and important book” (Ben Bernanke) about the surprising reasons why paper money lies at the heart of many of the world’s most difficult problemsThe world is drowning in cash—and it’s making us poorer and less safe. In The Curse of Cash, acclaimed economist Kenneth Rogoff explores the past, present and future of currency, from ancient China to today’s cryptocurrencies, showing why, contrary to conventional economic wisdom, paper money surprisingly lies at the heart of some of the world’s most difficult problems.Cash is becoming increasingly marginalized in the legal economy, but there is a record amount of it in circulation—$1.4 trillion in U.S. dollars alone, or $4,200 for every American, mostly in $100 bills—and most of it is used to finance tax evasion, corruption, terrorism, the drug trade, human trafficking and the rest of a massive global underground economy. Paper money also cripples monetary policy by making it impossible for central banks to lower interest rates significantly below zero and The Curse of Cash explains why countries must establish effective negative interest rate policies to manage the next financial crisis.Even if governments take better control of paper currency, perhaps by phasing out large-denomination notes, cryptocurrencies raise old and new issues. Looking to the future of public and private digital currency, The Curse of Cash cites the lesson of history: when it comes to currency, the private sector may innovate but eventually the government regulates and appropriates.Provocative, engaging and backed by compelling original arguments and evidence, The Curse of Cash is certain to spark widespread debate.

Kenneth S Rogoff teaches in the Economics Department of Harvard University where he is Thomas D Cabot Professor of Public Policy.During 2001-2003 Rogoff was chief economist at the Internatonal Monetary Fund. His newest book The Curse of Cash, shows why phasing out most (except for small bills) would likely significantly reduce crime and tax evasion, while also helping central banks fight financial crises. His 2009 book, with Professor Carmen M Reinhart of the University of Maryland, was a NY Times and Amazon best seller; it exploits an extensive new database, developed by the authors over many years, and now widely used by researchers, policymakers and investor. Reinhart and Rogoff show the remarkable quantitative similarities in deep financial crises across time and regions. Rogoff's 1996 treatise with Maurice Obstfeld on the Foundations of International Macroeconomics remains the standard graduate reference in the field. His monthly column on global economic issues is published in over fifty countries and a dozen languages. He is also a frequent commentator in the media, including NPR, BBC, The Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, CNN, CNBC and Bloomberg.Outside economics, Rogoff was awarded the life title of international grandmaster of chess by the World Chess Federation in 1978. He is married to Natasha Lance Rogoff, and has two children, Gabriel and Juliana.