Economics 101
Economics from early exchange and the first coins to capitalism, financial crashes, global trade, digital currency, and the arguments over what should come next.
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Chapters
12 total- 01Chapter One - Before Value Had Numbers
- 02Chapter Two - The First Money
- 03Chapter Three - Empire Economics
- 04Chapter Four - God, Guilt, and Guilds
- 05Chapter Five - The Merchant Explosion
- 06Chapter Six - Capitalism: The Remix
- 07Chapter Seven - Boom, Bust, and Blood
- 08Chapter Eight - Keynes vs. Hayek
- 09Chapter Nine - Global Game
- 10Chapter Ten - Clicks and Coins
- 11Chapter Eleven - 2008, Bailouts, and the Vibes of Collapse
- 12Chapter Twelve - Beyond the Market
Edition notes and short pages
Economics 101
Economics 101
A History of Money
by James Johnson
Dedication
For everyone who’s ever looked at their paycheck and thought:
“Wait, this is how the world works?”
You were right to question it.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
SHOUTOUT TO THE thinkers, rebels, teachers, and broke geniuses who’ve helped decode this thing called money. Not just with graphs and jargon, but with clarity and courage.
To the friends who ranted about rent hikes and payday loans, to the barbershop economists, the midnight philosophers, and anyone who's ever said, “Man, something about this doesn’t add up,” this one’s for you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JJ IS THE author of over 250 books on history, power, ideology, economics, religion, science, and the weird myths we tell to keep the world spinning. His work spans everything from ancient empires to modern intelligence agencies.
Known for blending sharp storytelling with deep research (and zero tolerance for B.S.), he makes big ideas readable, relatable, and just dangerous enough to stick.
You can find his full library and whatever rabbit hole he’s crawling down next on Amazon or at jjarchives.com
COPYRIGHT
© 2025 JAMES JOHNSON
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means — electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise — without prior written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations used in reviews or scholarly analysis.
This book is a work of nonfiction, but it is written with voice and attitude. All facts, dates, and historical events have been researched and presented to the best of the author’s ability, but the tone is intentionally conversational, and the commentary reflects the author’s perspective.
Nothing in this book constitutes financial advice. If you're trying to make investment decisions based on a history book with jokes in it, you may want to reassess your strategy.