WHAT IT'S WORTH

A playful, insightful fairy tale retelling of the history of money

What, exactly, is an American dollar? Is it intrinsically valuable, or merely a symbol of the value it promises? In What It's Worth, Frederick Kaufman takes on the complex meanings and history of money, beginning with 300,000-year-old myths and wrapping up with the byzantine Wall Street doings of the present day. Along the way, he unwraps the many stories that have been told about money, dwelling especially on its 1971 unpinning from the gold standard — itself another imaginary metaphor for wealth.

By framing the concept of money as a story told by those who control it, Kaufman reimagines the power structures that have long dictated its worth, turning a critical eye to its manipulation over the centuries. If the rest of us can tell our own versions of this story, he declares, we can reclaim our lost mastery over its value and meaning. Half fable, half manifesto, What It's Worth promises a new take on the ancient concept of cash.

FREDERICK KAUFMAN has written for Harper's Magazine, The New Yorker, New York Magazine, and The New York Times Magazine, among others. He has published four books, including Bet the Farm: How Food Stopped Being Food (2012) and A Short History of the American Stomach (2008), and nearly one hundred magazine articles. He is a contributing editor at Harper's, and he teaches at the City University of New York and CUNY's Graduate School of Journalism. Born in Los Angeles, he currently lives in New York.