Reviewed by Pat White

A remarkable number of ideas that give our planet earth a slight chance of coping with rampant humanity have come from Germany, or the surrounding nations in recent years. The awareness of the danger posed by rampant consumerism seems to be heightened in this highly populated region.

It is perhaps no surprise therefore that the 'Green' political movement found a powerful new voice there. Also, it seems right that Margrit Kennedy should write about the international monetary systems and their problems, from a perspective reinforced by experiences of change in Germany. She argues persuasively for major reforms to capitalistic ways of using money to create huge wealth in individuals, where resources and their benefits become available to comparatively few.

Interest rates and taxation are her chief concerns, plus the need for local initiatives to lead change. Using direct readable language, documented research, and plenty of diagrams, her work is very accessible.

No doubt flying in the face of an entrenched cynicism about personal wealth and its desirability will not make this a best seller. What would entitle it to be a best seller is that it intelligently argues a case for reform of a system that is predetermined to create a gulf between have and have nots.

This is the sort of book to give a stocks and shares banker nightmares, just because it makes the goobledegook of high finance appear comprehensively at fault.

Apparently money is not what it appears to be, when we use it to buy bread and a newspaper, or a few gallons of petrol for the car.