The Encyclopedia of Money

"Compared to the previous edition (1999), entries in this new edition focus on more contemporary issues. Although some historical topics are still included, others have been dropped. Gone are the articles on the Augustan monetary system, Lydian coinage, and Plato. In are articles on Announcement effect, Liquidity, and Producer price index. Among the 311 entries, Allen (professor of economics, Lamar University) also provides new articles on the current economic crisis, including Credit crunch, Credit ratings, Troubled Asset Relief Program, and U.S. financial crisis of 2008-2009. Coverage is international - for example, readers will find a selection of currencies from other countries and time periods (for example, English penny, French franc, Nails). Articles on people are mostly excluded. Arranged alphabetically, entries average between one and two pages and tend to recount historical developments rather than provide in-depth theoretical analysis. For example, the two-page article Federal Reserve System describes the development of the Federal Reserve, beginning with the eighteenth-century U.S. banking system and ending with events in 2008. Reference lists to books and articles (also compiled in the bibliography) are included with each entry. High-quality black-and-white illustrations and a short glossary are also provided. In the index, listings for acronyms seem problematic. For example, the index listing for FOMC misses the main entry, while the separate index listing for Federal Open Market Committee does not. Some entries are also found in other sources, such as The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics (2008), but other topics - such as Bank of Amsterdam and articles on hyperinflation in more than 15 other countries (for example, Hyperinflation in Zimbabwe) - will be more difficult to find. A good choice for academic and public libraries. Libraries with the earlier edition will want to update."--[Stephen Fadel, Booklist].