Sexual Astrology - Books : Medici Money: Banking, Metaphysics, and Art in Fifteenth-Century Florence (Enterprise) (Enterprise)

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by: Tim Parks See Larger Image List Price: $13.95 Our Price: $11.16 You Save: $2.79 (20%) Prices subject to change. Used Price: $4.95 Collectible Price: $24.50 Third Party New Price: $8.11 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Binding: Paperback Dewey Decimal Number: 330 EAN: 9780393328455 ISBN: 0393328457 Label: W. W. Norton Manufacturer: W. W. Norton Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 288 Publication Date: May 15, 2006 Publisher: W. W. Norton Sales Rank: 40743 Studio: W. W. Norton Related Items: The House of Medici: Its Rise and Fall Fire in the City: Savonarola and the Struggle for the Soul of Renaissance Florence Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture April Blood: Florence and the Plot against the Medici The Stones of Florence see more Editorial Review: Product Description: The remarkable story of the Renaissance's preeminent financiers. 'A swift and brilliant synthesis of finance, politics, and history.'—Ben Sisario, New York Times Book Review Their name is a byword for immense wealth and power, but before their renown as art patrons and noblemen the Medicis built their fortune on banking—specifically, on lending money at interest. Banking in the fifteenth century, even at the height of the Renaissance, meant running afoul of the Catholic Church's prohibition against usury. It required more than merely financial skills to make a profit, and the legendary Medicis—most famously Cosimo and Lorenzo ('the Magnificent')—were masterly in wielding the political, diplomatic, military, and even metaphysical tools that were needed to maintain their family's position. In this brisk and witty narrative, Tim Parks uncovers the intrigues, dodges, and moral qualities that gave the Medicis their edge. Vividly evoking the richness of the Florentine Renaissance and the Medicis' glittering circle, replete with artists, popes, and kings, Medici Money is a brilliant look into the origins of modern banking and its troubled relationship with art and religion. 14 illustrations. Customer Reviews Average Rating: Rating: - Fascinating! Tim Park's subtle observations are so incredibly insightful: He explained the world of the Medici in terms of what is applicable today, many centuries later. What surprised me was how similar their environment was to that of the current time -- Technology has changed dramatically, of course, but people basically behave the same. And for the same reasons. It was also quite interesting how the banking business had to function in that era before the development of accounting rules, legal ... Read More Rating: - AMAZING STORY AND STYLE WOW! EXCELLENT! BRILLIANT! Tim Parks' way of explaining things is so dexterous. As a failed reader of "The Rise and Decline of the Medici Bank 1397-1494," I was deeply impressed by this book. Even if de Roover's book is a must-read book on financial history, it's so hard to keep reading. But this excellent book isn't. I couldn't do anything until I finish it. One of the merits of the book seems the sense of rhythm. That's why Tim Parks is a novelist. Unlike any other history books ... Read More Rating: - A quality book, but not an earth shaker Parks brings us 100 years of Florentine history, from 1389 to 1494 - it's the rise and fall of the Medicis, the invention of international banking, and the Renaissance. While it's a complex book, he does well by laying out a chronology, and a chapter of "The Big Picture" in the front of the book. This telling of what he's going to tell us keeps you from getting lost during the progress of the book. Parks has two basic principles for his theme - first, loan money and you are a usurer and ... Read More Rating: - Terrible I was shocked to discover that this book was published by the Norton Press. Here goes my best at a Tim Parks inspired juvenile and/or hackneyed rhetorical question: "Have Standards Fallen so Low?" This is not a work of History, and it is not written by an Historian. It is anecdotal and unscholarly. The exploration of metaphysics does not warrant that word's presence in the title. It is poorly written, and moves in and out of tense haphazardly, notes are absent and sources are uncited, and finally ... Read More Rating: - The Birth of Renaissance It is a very well-written book. Tim Parks has a golden pen, from which words flow easily and beautifully. The superb language makes it quite easy to follow the history of the Florentine Bank of Medici from 1397 to 1494. And the history is thrilling. Medici is the most powerful family in Florence, one of the first modern states, with investment banks, international trading and a parliament. Parks focuses his analysis on the business and politics of Florence, and in particular on the different ... Read More see more Browse for similar items by category: Economics - Business & Finance - New & Used Textbooks - Custom Stores - Specialty Stores - Books - General AAS Business & Finance - New & Used Textbooks - Custom Stores - Specialty Stores - Books - General AAS New & Used Textbooks - Custom Stores - Specialty Stores - Books - General AAS Qualifying Textbooks - Custom Stores - Specialty Stores - Books - General AAS Economics - Business & Investing - Subjects - Books - Economic History