The Ascent of Money - a Documentary by Niall Ferguson

Historian and bestselling author Niall Ferguson (www.niallferguson.com) puts the recent financial meltdown in perspective in his book "The Ascent of Money, the first large scale global financial history of its kind, which also has been produced as a TV documentary in 6 episodes, which can be seen here. But first...

An interview with Niall Ferguson about the history of money:

The Ascent of Money - Episodes 1-5:

The Ascent of Money - Episode 6:

The ascent of money:
A financial history of the world
One way to make sense of the present financial chaos is to look back at the past
Quote from The Economist: http://www.economist.com/node/12376642 - Oct 9th 2008 | from the print edition:

"THE typical career of a Wall Street banker lasts about a quarter of a century, enough to span just one big financial crisis. As Niall Ferguson explains in his new book, “The Ascent of Money”, which will be published next month, today’s senior financiers would have started out in 1983, fully ten years after oil and gold prices first began the surge that had ruined the previous generation of money men. That, he concludes, is a “powerful justification for the study of financial history.”

Mr Ferguson is right. The world needs a book that puts today’s crisis into context. It is too late now to warn investors about expensive houses and financiers about cheap credit. But perhaps the past can help make sense of the wreckage of banks, brokers and hedge funds that litters the markets. Looking back may help suggest what to do next. And when the crisis is over and it is time for the great reckoning, the lessons of history should inform the arguments about what must change."

The quote above is about the book, but here you can watch the documentary by the same name and by the same author, Niall Ferguson.

Watch the first 5 episodes on YouTube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QY8g_IsI_gY

Watch the last and 6th episode on YouTube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RHVoDVOcHk