<p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p><p><strong>ACAST NOTES</strong></p><p>Money doesn’t exist. Economics isn’t about equations, it’s about us. Irish economist, David McWilliams, talks about the invention of money, how it drives our choices and how to make better decisions about it - our greatest, yet most divisive, invention so far.<strong> </strong>Why does traditional economics miss the mark? How can humour democratise economic literacy? Why is investing in yourself the most liberating financial decision you can make?</p><br><p>David is talking about his book <strong><em>Money: A story of Humanity</em></strong> - <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Money-Story-Humanity-David-McWilliams/dp/1982152958" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Money: A Story of Humanity</em></a> - <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Money-Story-Humanity-David-McWilliams/dp/1982152958" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/Money-Story-Humanity-David-McWilliams/dp/1982152958</a></p><p>at the Franschhoek Literary Festival in South Africa 16 - 18 May 2025. <strong>&nbsp;</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.flf.co.za/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.flf.co.za/</a></p><p><a href="https://www.flf.co.za/participants/david-mcwilliams/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.flf.co.za/participants/david-mcwilliams/</a></p><br><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>00:00 – 01:52 | The Nature of Economics</strong></p><p>Why economics is about humanity, not numbers. Money as a made-up but powerful force.</p><p><strong>01:53 – 05:45 | What Economists Get Wrong</strong></p><p>The plumbing analogy: why economists understand mechanics but not meaning. The limits of academic jargon.</p><p><strong>05:46 – 06:40 | The Origins of Money</strong></p><p>Mesopotamia, the move from barter to symbols, and how money emerged as a trust technology.</p><p><strong>06:41 – 09:10 | Commerce, Counting, and Religion</strong></p><p>How commerce required writing, courts, laws, and even religion to underpin trust at scale.</p><p><strong>09:10 – 14:11 | Weaponized Economics &amp; Global Decisions</strong></p><p>How money disciplines power—particularly in US politics. Financial markets as democracy’s silent opposition.</p><p><strong>14:12 – 17:54 | Supercycles and Global Volatility</strong></p><p>Understanding the big turning points in modern economic history and the new age of economic nationalism.</p><p><strong>17:55 – 21:08 | Kilkenomics &amp; Humor as a Lens</strong></p><p>How comedy disarms economic elitism. Making economic insight accessible through laughter.</p><p><strong>21:09 – 24:52 | The Ultimate Decision: Invest in Yourself</strong></p><p>Why the most powerful financial move is personal investment—and why time always wins over money.</p><p><br></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.kilkenomics.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Kilkenomics Festival</strong></a> – An economics and comedy festival in Kilkenny, Ireland - https://www.kilkenomics.com/</li><li><a href="https://paulkrugman.substack.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Paul Krugman</strong></a> – Nobel laureate economist and Kilkenomics speaker - https://paulkrugman.substack.com/</li><li><a href="https://adst.org/2016/07/extra-special-relationship-thatcher-reagan-1980s/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Reagan &amp; Thatcher Era</strong></a> – Markers of the last economic supercycle - https://adst.org/2016/07/extra-special-relationship-thatcher-reagan-1980s/</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xi_Jinping" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Xi Jinping</strong></a><strong> and U.S. politics</strong> – Case studies in economic decision-making under global flux - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xi_Jinping</li></ul><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

The Art of Deciding

Bruce Whitfield

David McWilliams - economist, author and broadcaster

MAY 14, 202524 MIN
The Art of Deciding

David McWilliams - economist, author and broadcaster

MAY 14, 202524 MIN

Description

<p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p><p><strong>ACAST NOTES</strong></p><p>Money doesn’t exist. Economics isn’t about equations, it’s about us. Irish economist, David McWilliams, talks about the invention of money, how it drives our choices and how to make better decisions about it - our greatest, yet most divisive, invention so far.<strong> </strong>Why does traditional economics miss the mark? How can humour democratise economic literacy? Why is investing in yourself the most liberating financial decision you can make?</p><br><p>David is talking about his book <strong><em>Money: A story of Humanity</em></strong> - <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Money-Story-Humanity-David-McWilliams/dp/1982152958" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Money: A Story of Humanity</em></a> - <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Money-Story-Humanity-David-McWilliams/dp/1982152958" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/Money-Story-Humanity-David-McWilliams/dp/1982152958</a></p><p>at the Franschhoek Literary Festival in South Africa 16 - 18 May 2025. <strong>&nbsp;</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.flf.co.za/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.flf.co.za/</a></p><p><a href="https://www.flf.co.za/participants/david-mcwilliams/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.flf.co.za/participants/david-mcwilliams/</a></p><br><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>00:00 – 01:52 | The Nature of Economics</strong></p><p>Why economics is about humanity, not numbers. Money as a made-up but powerful force.</p><p><strong>01:53 – 05:45 | What Economists Get Wrong</strong></p><p>The plumbing analogy: why economists understand mechanics but not meaning. The limits of academic jargon.</p><p><strong>05:46 – 06:40 | The Origins of Money</strong></p><p>Mesopotamia, the move from barter to symbols, and how money emerged as a trust technology.</p><p><strong>06:41 – 09:10 | Commerce, Counting, and Religion</strong></p><p>How commerce required writing, courts, laws, and even religion to underpin trust at scale.</p><p><strong>09:10 – 14:11 | Weaponized Economics &amp; Global Decisions</strong></p><p>How money disciplines power—particularly in US politics. Financial markets as democracy’s silent opposition.</p><p><strong>14:12 – 17:54 | Supercycles and Global Volatility</strong></p><p>Understanding the big turning points in modern economic history and the new age of economic nationalism.</p><p><strong>17:55 – 21:08 | Kilkenomics &amp; Humor as a Lens</strong></p><p>How comedy disarms economic elitism. Making economic insight accessible through laughter.</p><p><strong>21:09 – 24:52 | The Ultimate Decision: Invest in Yourself</strong></p><p>Why the most powerful financial move is personal investment—and why time always wins over money.</p><p><br></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.kilkenomics.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Kilkenomics Festival</strong></a> – An economics and comedy festival in Kilkenny, Ireland - https://www.kilkenomics.com/</li><li><a href="https://paulkrugman.substack.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Paul Krugman</strong></a> – Nobel laureate economist and Kilkenomics speaker - https://paulkrugman.substack.com/</li><li><a href="https://adst.org/2016/07/extra-special-relationship-thatcher-reagan-1980s/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Reagan &amp; Thatcher Era</strong></a> – Markers of the last economic supercycle - https://adst.org/2016/07/extra-special-relationship-thatcher-reagan-1980s/</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xi_Jinping" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Xi Jinping</strong></a><strong> and U.S. politics</strong> – Case studies in economic decision-making under global flux - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xi_Jinping</li></ul><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>