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Sep 23, 2024 3:30 AM

Author:Chris Anderson

Free

What happens when advances in technology allow many things to be produced for more or less nothing? And what happens when those things are then made available to the consumer for free?

In his groundbreaking new book, The Long Tail author Chris Anderson considers a brave new world where the old economic certainties are being undermined by a growing flood of free goods - newspapers, DVDs, T-shirts, phones, even holiday flights. He explains why this has become possible - why new technologies, particularly the Internet, have caused production and distribution costs in many sectors to plummet to an extent unthinkable even a decade ago. He shows how the flexibility provided by the online world allows producers to trade ever more creatively, offering items for free to make real or perceived gains elsewhere. He pinpoints the winners and the losers in the Free universe. And he demonstrates the ways in which, as an increasing number of things become available for free, our decisions to make use of them will be determined by two resources far more valuable than money: the popular reputation of what is on offer and the time we have available for it. In the future, he argues, when we talk of the 'money economy' we will talk of the 'reputation economy' and the 'time economy' in the same breath, and our world will never be the same again.

Reviews

Turns traditional economics upside down

—— Guardian

Even if you're a freesheet-reading Spotify user, this is the best £18.99 you'll ever spend

—— GQ

An insightful, steady and scrupulous analysis

—— Financial Times

There are many books about the workings of the new economy, but Anderson ... [is] ... one of the most reliable and skilful guides. Free is worth the money

—— Management Today

An enjoyable jaunt through business land

—— Daily Telegraph

The latest must-read title in adland

—— The Independent

Free is a brilliant primer for the bit generation

—— The Times

It’s a wealth of understanding for understanding wealth

—— Esquire

Combines breadth of scholarship with a wealth of practical experience in tackling the most elusive of economic subjects - the nature of money

—— John Kay

Martin’s remarkable book, Money, is economic history – and indeed cultural anthropology – with a difference... His sparkling book is worth taking seriously

—— Raymond Tallis , Prospect

We should ask ourselves not just: what is the euro?; but also: what is money? An excellent new book, Money, written by the macro-economist Felix Martin, does just this

—— Ben Wright , Financial News

Felix Martin condenses the broadest of subjects into a searing and potentially life-changing read that destroys all accepted knowledge of this thing we sell our souls for

—— Shortlist

The virtue of Martin’s book is that it exposes the deep flaws in the way we have traditionally thought about money. The exposition is clear… Fresh

—— Alex Brummer , New Statesman

I’m going to read Money by Felix Martin. I’m determined to find out how it works

—— Lucy Mangan , Stylist

Stimulating and timely

—— David Priestland , Guardian

Since the banking crisis, masses of books arrive every week. Scanning them all would be incompatible with eating and sleeping... Much the most entertaining is just called Money

—— Samuel Brittan , Financial Times

Entertaining

—— Economist

Two chapters in, I realized that this was the book I needed when I was having conversations during the Occupy movement, and friends were all trying to understand what had happened and what we wanted to happen differently, and I think if I had read this at the time I would have had more language and stories to talk about that whole argument

—— Ellah Allfrey

A very spritely and lucid and well written book

—— Kevin Jackson

Covers a vast geographical and historical spread

—— Martin Shubik , Nature

Like a thriller writer, Martin inserts little hooks at the end of his chapters for the next section – and he deserves…credit for creating a readable work on such a potentially bone-dry subject

—— Ian Birrell , Observer

Martin tells an interesting story and his diagnosis is persuasive

—— Josh Glancy , Sunday Times

Engrossing

—— Jon Ihle , Sunday Business Post

This book is a great read, and one that I think non-economists will find completely accessible… The historical detail is fascinating, and the ideas they are used to illustrate are clear and thought provoking, so I’m very glad I read it

—— Simon Wren-Lewis , MainlyMacro Blog

[Martin] demonstrates a capacity both for wit and literary style in this engaging, timely history

—— Frank Trentman , BBC History Magazine

An entertaining history of one of the most powerful, misunderstood forces in the world around us. Not one of those awful books about how to get rich

—— Stuff

A wonderfully original and entertaining history of money. If you have ever wondered why the whole system seems so dangerously and chronically unstable, this is the book to read

—— Liaquat Ahamed, author of Lords of Finance, winner of the Pulitzer Prize

Splendid

—— Adam Fergusson , Literary Review

This is an excellent book to read, full of interesting history and insight, and very clear and well written... A beautiful and sometimes even entrancing study of human thought about money

—— Tyler Cowen , Times Literary Supplement

An important insight into how finance and economics blindsided each other in the runup to the financial crisis

—— George Hay , Reuters

Startling insights in clear, intelligent prose… You will emerge better informed, and also surprisingly entertained

—— Nicholas Lezard , Guardian

A terrific analysis

—— William Leith , Evening Standard

Money isn’t just an entertaining read, it’s also really useful

—— Big Issue

A thought-provoking book

—— Good Book Guide
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