NEW BOOK: VALUE BEYOND MONEY

Value Beyond Money: An Exploration of The Bristol Pound and The Building Blocks for An Alternative Economic System

Paperback – August 1, 2024
by Diana Finch

Back in 2009, a group of people came together to try to create a currency that would change the economic system for the better. They called it the Bristol Pound. By 2015 it was one of the world's most prominent local currencies, featured in the Financial Times and Time Magazine, and even covered by Chinese state television. However, the Bristol Pound stopped circulating in 2021, and in 2023 the organisation finally wound up. Drawing on the lessons learned as Bristol Pound's managing director, the author examines the theory and practice behind many new economic ideas. What really is ‘money'? Can we imagine an economic system that prioritises non-financial value? Can we create a post-market economy? The author's conclusions shape a new narrative and understanding that will forever change how you think of money and the economy.

For more information, or to order, see:
Value Beyond Money: An Exploration of The Bristol Pound and The Building Blocks for An Alternative Economic System (https://www.amazon.com/Value-Beyond-Money-Exploration-Alternative/dp/1912092301)

The Bristol Pound has played a significant role in awareness raising and debates about alternative currency systems and the drive towards local economic practices. The development of a city wide approached was one of several ambitions which underpinned the endeavour. Within her new book exploring the history of the currency and its broader ambitions, Finch has provided an honest account and insight behind the curtain of public perception to show some of the inner workings of the scheme. For academics, practitioners and the interested general public, the book offers a lot of provoking insights and honest commentary about the challenges faced in developing the Bristol Pound. However, there are some silences within the text, which for the academic audience, will leave some questions unanswered.

The easy read, conversational tone of the text is a refreshing form of expression which engages the reader quickly and continuously throughout the book. This approach resonates well with the more personal touches within the text about key players and relationships involved in the Bristol Pound initiative. Interestingly, and perhaps with the audience in mind, the first part of the book orientates the reader well to the idea of alternative currency and quickly links this into the account of the Bristol Pound. Resultingly we are exposed to the practice insights first. There are some interesting lessons for the wider community currency community in these pages. Such as

• The engagement of like-minded members of the community rather than mass participation.
• Significant amounts of enthusiasm, good will as well as political support locally can drive a currency system forward in the early stages of development. But this can place a great demand for time and energy on a small number of people.
• Wider social/economic developments in the "free market" may outpace community currency innovation – the rapid development of electronic payments as an example, especially post-covid.

Although now concluded, the Bristol Pound therefore offers several insights which will resonate with those who have experimented with and/or researched alternative currency systems. Perhaps the ongoing challenge for the wider currency literature here is how to respond to these lessons. Developing a currency system which challenges the broader economic system remains elusive, and some reflection on what could be taken from these insights into future experimentation would have been a great addition from an author who has been at the heart of practice and a significant learning journey.

To read the complete article, see:
Book Review: Value Beyond Money. An Exploration of The Bristol Pound and The Building Blocks for An Alternative Economic System by Diana Finch (https://ijccr.net/ijccr-28-2024/vol-28-pp-110-112/)
VALUE BEYOND MONEY. AN EXPLORATION OF THE BRISTOL POUND AND THE BUILDING BLOCKS FOR AN ALTERNATIVE ECONOMIC SYSTEM BY DIANA FINCH (https://ijccr.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ijccr-2024-7-gregory.pdf)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NEW BOOK: VALUE BEYOND MONEY (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n46a07.html)

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