The Moneymaker - ReadMatter body { font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.6; background-color: #f4f4f9; color: #333; margin: 20px; } h1 { color: #2c3e50; font-size: 2.5em; text-align: center; margin-bottom: 20px; } h2, h3, h4, h5 { color: #16a085; margin-top: 20px; } h2::before, h3::before, h4::before, h5::before { content: "📘 "; } p { margin-bottom: 15px; } strong { color: #e67e22; } .condition { background-color: #eafaf1; border-left: 5px solid #16a085; padding: 10px; margin: 15px 0; } .summary { background-color: #fdf2f0; border-left: 5px solid #e74c3c; padding: 10px; margin: 15px 0; } .about-readmatter { background-color: #eaf1fc; border-left: 5px solid #2980b9; padding: 10px; margin: 15px 0; } .icon { color: #3498db; margin-right: 5px; } footer { margin-top: 30px; text-align: center; color: #7f8c8d; font-size: 0.9em; }
The Moneymaker
About This Book
Condition & Size
📖 Condition: Score 6.5/10 Good-Very Good
Observations: None
📏 Size: Hardcover
Summary
Three hundred years ago, a charismatic young gambler and man-about-town with a natural gift for mathematics fled London for the Contintent. His name was John Law and he had a good reason to go, having killed a man in a duel. Living off his lucrative winnings at the gaming tables of Europe, Law became increasingly fascinated by the nature of finance and journeyed to the impoverished, famine-stricken France of Louis XIV with an extraordinary idea. At the time when wealth was stored and exchanged as gold and silver coin - and there was rarely enough to fund the extravagance of kings, let alone trade - Law realised that the overriding problem was lack of available money. He reasoned that if this could be lent in the form of paper, properly backed by assets, then it could be lend repeatedly and credit used to multiply the opportunities for the making of money. Such a radical notion meant Law faced opposition from powerful vested interests. His persistence paid off in 1716 when, with royal backing, he established the first French bank to issue paper money. He also created a trading company which made its shareholders rich beyond their wildest so much so that the new term 'millionaire' was coined to describe them. What follows is the stuff of epic a tale of fortunes won and lost, of paupers made rich and lords losing all. And in telling this enthralling tragi-comic story, Janet Gleeson brings to life two fascinating characters who together would change the way the world the inscrutable John Law, and mercurial money itself.
About ReadMatter: Your Online Bookshop for Secondhand Books
At ReadMatter, we're all about bringing books to life and connecting stories with readers across South Africa. We stock over 10,000 books and 4,000 authors at any time, with a massive reservoir of 100,000 additional titles available on request. Whether you're searching for a beloved classic or a hidden gem, we're here to help you find your next great read.
Since we started in 2019, we've delivered over 15,000 books to readers all across the country. Every week, we add more than 250 new books to our website, ensuring there's always something new to discover. With a monthly sell-through rate of 30%, 1 in 3 books you see today will find a new home within a monthso don't wait too long to grab your favourites!
The stat we're most proud of? Our perfect 5-star Google rating and 100% positive customer satisfaction on Bobshop. These reflect our commitment to delivering not just books, but also happiness and joy to every reader.
We're big enough to deliver anywhere in South Africa with a street address but small enough to care deeply about every book we send out. At ReadMatter, every order makes a difference. Join us in celebrating the magic of stories and the joy of reading.
© 2025 ReadMatter | Bringing Stories to Life
