Bankers and speculators build castles in the air but when they come crashing down ordinary people have to pick up the tab. How we've made such a mess of our money system is explained, from the earliest banks right through to "collateralized debt obligations." The author suggests the framework for a fairer financial world: the practical ideas, required regulations, and real-life examples.

Peter Stalker is a former co-editor of the New Internationalist who now works as a consultant to a number of UN agencies. His books include Workers without Frontiers: The Impact of Globalization on International Migration and the No-Nonsense Guide to International Migration.