Plot Synopsis

Niall Ferguson looks at the financial history of the world, explaining how money has affected history, shaped our lives and developed into the complex system of global finance. He also examines how bubbles seemingly create unlimited wealth out of nothing, how the herd mentality pumps up these bubbles, and how bubbles burst. He pays special attention to the most recent housing bubble and how the savings glut in China was partly responsible for cheap and easy credit. This show has been broadcast as a two-hour documentary, a four-hour series on PBS and a six-part series in the UK on Ch4.