Ask a Bookseller: Let’s talk about money

Chuck Neal of Chapters Bookstore in Miami, Okla., recommended a nonfiction title on a ubiquitous topic this week: “Money: the True Story of a Made-up Thing,” by Jacob Goldstein. You might recognize Goldstein as the co-host of NPR’s Planet Money. Neal called it “a quick read: concise and easy to understand” that covers a vast history, ranging from the earliest coins to digital currency like bitcoin. The underlying theme, according to Neal, is a five letter word: trust. It’s the solid foundation for every monetary form, one that is hard-won and easily lost. You can hear Planet Money and How I Built Saturdays at 7 p.m. on MPR News.