The Power of Cash: Why Using Paper Money is Good for You and Society

Over the last thirty years, we have witnessed a rapid transformation in the way that people pay for goods and services. Where we used to use cash for all but our largest purchases, many people now prefer credit cards, debit cards, cryptocurrency, and electronic services like Venmo, PayPal, or Alipay. And that's not necessarily a good thing.

In The Power of Cash, Professor Jay Zagorsky, former advisor to the Boston Federal Reserve, delivers a startlingly insightful and eye-opening discussion of the harmful and unintended consequences of the demise of paper money. The author convincingly argues that cash is an essential and helpful tool that's worth preserving for the long run.

You'll learn why using cash makes it easier to control your spending, secures your anonymity and privacy against bad actors intent on stealing your data, mitigates the chaos of climate change and war, and helps the poor, vulnerable, unbanked, and disenfranchised to navigate society. You'll also discover when business and governments can refuse to take your paper money; how cash maintains your privacy and anonymity from tech companies, hackers, banks, and others; the potential dangers of giving governments control and knowledge of your spending; how cash controls additional fees and costs associated with electronic purchases; and more.

© 2025 Ascent Audio (Audiobook): 9781663753441

Release date

Audiobook: 6 May 2025