{"product_id":"the-curse-of-cash-by-kenneth-s-rogoff-9780691178363","title":"The Curse of Cash","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the New York Times bestselling author of \u003cem\u003eThis Time Is Different\u003c\/em\u003e, this book is \"a fascinating and important book\" (Ben Bernanke) about phasing out most paper money to fight crime and tax evasion, and to battle financial crises by tapping the power of negative interest rates.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe world is drowning in cash—and it's making us poorer and less safe. In \u003cem\u003eThe Curse of Cash\u003c\/em\u003e, Kenneth Rogoff, one of the world's leading economists, makes a persuasive and fascinating case for an idea that until recently would have seemed outlandish: getting rid of most paper money.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEven as people in advanced economies are using less paper money, there is more cash in circulation—a record $1.4 trillion in U.S. dollars alone, or $4,200 for every American, mostly in $100 bills. And the United States is hardly exceptional. So what is all that cash being used for?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe answer is simple: a large part is feeding tax evasion, corruption, terrorism, the drug trade, human trafficking, and the rest of a massive global underground economy. As Rogoff shows, paper money can also cripple monetary policy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn the aftermath of the recent financial crisis, central banks have been unable to stimulate growth and inflation by cutting interest rates significantly below zero for fear that it would drive investors to abandon treasury bills and stockpile cash. This constraint has paralyzed monetary policy in virtually every advanced economy and is likely to be a recurring problem in the future.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Curse of Cash\u003c\/em\u003e offers a plan for phasing out most paper money—while leaving small-denomination bills and coins in circulation indefinitely—and addresses the issues the transition will pose, ranging from fears about privacy and price stability to the need to provide subsidized debit cards for the poor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhile phasing out the bulk of paper money will hardly solve the world's problems, it would be a significant step toward addressing a surprising number of very big ones. Provocative, engaging, and backed by compelling original arguments and evidence, \u003cem\u003eThe Curse of Cash\u003c\/em\u003e is certain to spark widespread debate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"NewSouth Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47461521883372,"sku":"9780691178363","price":49.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780691178363-the-curse-of-cash.jpg?v=1774970290","url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/products\/the-curse-of-cash-by-kenneth-s-rogoff-9780691178363","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}