A monthly reading group for fintech practitioners who want to understand money and payments before they build products around it. The group focuses on serious scholarship rather than hype.

“Attendance is reserved for those who have read the book. Sessions are not introductions, they are conversations among people who have done the work.”

Last Friday of each month · 16:00–17:30 CET · Online

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Upcoming Sessions
Title Author Date Recording
The Theory of the Leisure Class pt.1 Thorstein Veblen Fri 26 Jun 2026
Moneyland Oliver Bullough Fri 29 May 2026
Backlog
  1. The Wheels of Commerce Fernand Braudel International Finance & Economic History
  2. Treatise on Money Joseph Schumpeter Monetary Theory & Payments Infrastructure
  3. The Great Transformation Karl Polanyi Consumption, Status & Social Theory
  4. The Theory of the Leisure Class Thorstein Veblen Consumption, Status & Social Theory
  5. The Philosophy of Money Georg Simmel Consumption, Status & Social Theory
  6. Distinction Pierre Bourdieu Consumption, Status & Social Theory
  7. The Long Twentieth Century Giovanni Arrighi International Finance & Economic History
  8. Manias, Panics, and Crashes Charles Kindleberger Financial History & Regulation
  9. Making Money Christine Desan Financial History & Regulation
  10. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life Erving Goffman Consumption, Status & Social Theory
  11. Deceit, Desire and the Novel René Girard Consumption, Status & Social Theory
  12. The Denial of Death Ernest Becker Consumption, Status & Social Theory
  13. An Engine, Not a Camera Donald MacKenzie Financial History & Regulation
  14. The Society of the Spectacle Guy Debord Consumption, Status & Social Theory
  15. A Financial History of Western Europe Charles Kindleberger International Finance & Economic History
  16. Thinking, Fast and Slow Daniel Kahneman Behavioural Economics & Decision Making
  17. Currency and Credit Ralph Hawtrey Monetary Theory & Payments Infrastructure
  18. A Market Theory of Money John Hicks Monetary Theory & Payments Infrastructure
  19. The Collapse of Complex Societies Joseph Tainter Infrastructure & Political Economy
  20. The Empire of Value André Orléan Monetary Theory & Payments Infrastructure
  21. Capitalizing on Crisis Greta Krippner Infrastructure & Political Economy
  22. Fragile by Design Calomiris & Haber Financial History & Regulation
  23. The Evolution of Central Banking Stefano Ugolini Financial History & Regulation
  24. A History of the Greenbacks Wesley C. Mitchell International Finance & Economic History
  25. The Golden Age of the Quantity Theory David Laidler International Finance & Economic History
  26. The New Lombard Street Perry Mehrling Monetary Theory & Payments Infrastructure
  27. The Money Interest and the Public Interest Perry Mehrling Monetary Theory & Payments Infrastructure
  28. Private Money and Public Currencies Boyer-Xambeu, Deleplace & Gillard International Finance & Economic History
  29. The Federal Reserve System Paul Warburg Financial History & Regulation
  30. Money and Empire Marcello De Cecco International Finance & Economic History
  31. The Currency of Politics Stefan Eich Monetary Theory & Payments Infrastructure
  32. Central Bank Capitalism Joscha Wullweber Infrastructure & Political Economy
  33. Fighting Financial Crises Gorton & Tallman Financial History & Regulation
  34. Controlling Credit Eric Monnet Monetary Theory & Payments Infrastructure
  35. The Rise of Central Banks Leon Wansleben Financial History & Regulation
  36. Capital Wars Michael J. Howell International Finance & Economic History
  37. The Volatility Machine Michael Pettis International Finance & Economic History
  38. Minsky Daniel H. Neilson Monetary Theory & Payments Infrastructure
  39. The Bailout State Martijn Konings Infrastructure & Political Economy
  40. Influence Robert Cialdini Behavioural Economics & Decision Making
  41. Diffusion of Innovations Everett Rogers How Trends & Behaviours Spread
  42. The Joyless Economy Tibor Scitovsky Consumption, Status & Social Theory
  43. Benjamin Strong: Central Banker Lester V. Chandler Financial History & Regulation
  44. Calming the Storms Charles Read Financial History & Regulation
  45. The Rise of Carry Lee, Lee & Coldiron International Finance & Economic History
  46. International Capital Movements Charles Kindleberger International Finance & Economic History
  47. A Political Theory of Money Anush Kapadia Monetary Theory & Payments Infrastructure
  48. Our Money Leah Downey Monetary Theory & Payments Infrastructure
  49. Treasure Islands Nicholas Shaxson Financial History & Regulation
  50. Moneyland Oliver Bullough Financial History & Regulation
  51. The Money Problem Morgan Ricks Financial History & Regulation
  52. Beyond Banks Dan Awrey Financial History & Regulation
  53. The Grid Gretchen Bakke Infrastructure & Political Economy
  54. Material World Ed Conway International Finance & Economic History
  55. The War Below Ernest Scheyder International Finance & Economic History
  56. Nudge Thaler & Sunstein Behavioural Economics & Decision Making
  57. Predictably Irrational Dan Ariely Behavioural Economics & Decision Making
  58. The Paradox of Choice Barry Schwartz Behavioural Economics & Decision Making
  59. Luxury Fever Robert Frank Consumption, Status & Social Theory
  60. Spent Geoffrey Miller Consumption, Status & Social Theory
  61. The Status Game Will Storr Consumption, Status & Social Theory
  62. Everything is Obvious Duncan Watts How Trends & Behaviours Spread
  63. The Tipping Point Malcolm Gladwell How Trends & Behaviours Spread
  64. Birth of a Market Kenneth Garbade Financial History & Regulation
  65. The Repo Market Scott Skyrm Financial History & Regulation
  66. The Arena of International Finance Charles A. Coombs International Finance & Economic History
  67. SWIFT: Cooperative Governance for Network Innovation Susan Scott & Markos Zachariadis Financial History & Regulation
  68. Between Payments and Credit George Pantelopoulos Monetary Theory & Payments Infrastructure
  69. Introduction to Payments and Financial Market Infrastructures Ulrich Bindseil & George Pantelopoulos Monetary Theory & Payments Infrastructure
  70. Payments Systems in the U.S. Benson, Loftesness & Jones Monetary Theory & Payments Infrastructure
  71. The Anatomy of the Swipe Ahmed Siddiqui Monetary Theory & Payments Infrastructure