A parapal on Metfilter recommended Moneta: A History of Ancient Rome in Twelve Coins (2024) by Gareth Harney. Obediently, I reserved a copy and it came to my local library quicker than average. The Blob's book-world has been in similar listicle-land before: A History of the World in 100 Objects by Neil MacGregor also A History of Ireland in 100 Objects by Fintan O'Toole; A history of Ireland in 100 words by Arbuthnot, Ní Mhaonaigh and Toner. Moneta is not 12/100ths the length of those other books, because the publishing world doesn't work like that. It is, therefore, more discursive and less exec summ; and definitely not the worse for that treatment. Indeed, I ripped through its 300&some pages in a tuthree days and popped out the other end feeling better informed and indeed smarter. I'd be quite the pub bore about it for the next couple of weeks . . . if I ever went out.Harney's journey was set when, as boy, his father gifted him a small silver coin that was "Older than both world…
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