For ages, money has meant little metal disks and rectangular slips of paper. Yet the usefulness of physical moneyto say nothing of its valueis coming under fire as never before. Intrigued by the distinct possibility that cash will soon disappear, author andWiredcontributing editor David Wolman sets out to investigatethe future of moneyand how it will affect your wallet.
Wolman begins his journey by deciding to shun cash for an entire yeara surprisingly successful experiment (with a couple of notable exceptions). He then ventures forthto find people and technologies that illuminate the road ahead. InHonolulu, he drinks Mai Tais with Bernard von NotHaus, a convicted counterfeiterand alternative-currency evangelist whom government prosecutors have labeled a domestic terrorist. InTokyo, he sneaks a peek at the latest anti-counterfeiting wizardry, while puzzling over the fact that banknote forgers depend on society's addiction to cash. In a downtroddenOregontown, he mingles with obsessive coin collectorsthe people who are supposed to love cash the most, yet don't. And in ruralGeorgia, he examines why some people feelthe end of cash is Armageddons warm-up act.After stops at the Digital Money Forum in London and Icelands central bank, Wolman flies to Delhi, where he sees first-hand how cash penalizes the poor more than anyoneand how mobile technologies promise to change that.
Told with verve and wit,The End of Moneyexplores an aspect of our daily lives so fundamental that we rarely stop to think about it. Youll never look at a dollar bill the same again.
