BOOK REVIEW: COINED

I meant to write earlier about Kabir Sehgal's book; Coined, but I have been up to my neck in alligators working on my own books.

Somehow, Kabir found me and sent me an email that he was coming to Viet Nam and other S.E. Asian countries for his work and for his future book. He works in New York City for a large financial institution and specializes in Third World Countries. I told him I was already in Viet Nam and once he had a date he would be in Ho Chi Minh City, tell me and I will clear my calendar for him. That date arrived and I met him in the lobby of the Sofitel Hotel.

We went to a coffee shop and he interviewed me about my numismatic pursuits, and numismatics in general. After about an hour or so, we left and I took him to two of the coin dealers in the city who have shops. He interviewed them and then we went to lunch. He asked for more dealers names in Bangkok and other S.E. and South Asian cities so he could interview them. I gave him the names and email addresses of not only dealers but also some advanced collectors. I also told him he needed to contact Stacks in New York City so he could learn about the U.S. numismatic scene. I have met some of their staff at conventions but I do not know anyone at Stacks. But I do know them to be very reputable and recommended them to Kabir.

He departed Viet Nam and we corresponded via email four or five more times before he had enough of me. People usually get enough of me after only one or two emails! The next time I ran into his name was that his book was published, and then he sent me a complimentary copy.

Instead of speed-reading it, I slowly read it from cover to cover. Most of the book is about the historical background of money and economics. I knew most of it but it was way back in my brain and his book brought many things back into the front. The section on numismatists was great, even with me being in it. I am guessing he asked everyone I recommended to him about me.

Besides everyone in financial institutions, I believe his book should also be read by all serious numismatists, and especially by college freshman before they take their first financial or economics classes. A lot of what is taught/published today has been altered from what actually happened and what was actually written in the past. It is a sad situation in today's "education" classes at every level in most institutions, and those who read his book will be able to better understand the real world of finance and economics.

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles (where Howard is identified by Sehgal as "the Satan of numismatics" for his brutal honesty), see:
BOOK REVIEW: COINED (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v18n11a05.html)
BOOK REVIEW: COINED (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v18n12a07.html)
NUMISMATIC ODDBALLS (www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v18n13a05.html)

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