Mr. Soberón has provided us with a fascinating chronological review of the history of money in all its forms from several hundred years BCE through the present day. From gold and silver to paper money and beyond, from Dictators to Democrats and Republicans, he chronicles the evolution of the various mediums of exchange and the power and influence held and wielded by those who possessed them in great amounts. This book is certain to hold the interest of both the high school student and the seasoned banker. It is required reading for anyone interested in economics, business, investing or simply world history. Clearly written and unbiased, Mr. Soberon's narrative appears at a crucial juncture in world affairs.
Author Biography:
Francisco Soberón worked in shipping between 1961 and 1978. During that period he represented Cuban shipping companies in Canada, Holland, and the United Kingdom and served on the board of directors of the Caribbean Multinational Shipping Company, which had headquarters in San José, Costa Rica. From 1978 to 1995, he headed shipping, insurance, and financial companies in London, Cuba, and the Netherlands Antilles and served as a member of the Baltic Exchange, London, and of the Latin American Committee of Lloyds Register of Shipping. From 1995 to 2009 he was governor of the Central Bank of Cuba, and he intervened in several international events, including summit of ECOSOC, IMF, and World Bank, United Nations, 1999; Annual Meeting of the Bank for International Settlements, Basel, Switzerland, 1996, 1998, and 2001; Conference on International Finance and Development, Monterrey, Mexico, 2002; Seminar on Latin-American Integration, Caracas, 2006; General Assembly of the Latin-American Association of Financial Institutions, Havana, 2006; and Meetings of the Unitary System of Regional Payments, Caracas, 2009. He has traveled to more than fifty countries, including trips as an adviser on shipping and financial subjects to Angola, Nicaragua, Vietnam, Venezuela, and São Tomé and Principe. He has written several essays and articles for newspapers and ten books in the Spanish Language: Fletamento de buques (1984); Fomento de la flota mercante propia (1987); Financiación y compra de buques (1989); Finanzas, banca y dirección (2000); Martí el poder de servir (2009); Finanzas internacionales y crisis global (2009); Oro, dólar e imperio (Gold, Dollar, and Empire) (2010); El laberinto monetario global (2012); El euro: unión monetaria y crisis (2014); and Diccionario de términos e instituciones del Sistema Financiero Internacional (2015).
