"Money for Nothing: The South Sea Bubble and the Birth of the Modern Financial World" by Thomas Levenson is a captivating account of one of the most notorious financial crises in history, the South Sea bubble of 1719. Written by an expert in the field, the book tells the story of how the leaders of the South Sea Company laid out a grand plan to swap citizens' shares of the nation's debt for company stock, with the promise of making a fortune in the process. The book explores how the nation's leaders fell for the plan, and how the subsequent crash came suddenly, in a rush of scandal, jail, suicide, and ruin. But thanks to the leadership of Robert Walpole, the kingdom found its way through to emerge with the first truly modern, reliable, and stable financial exchange. Through this gripping and well-researched narrative, Levenson offers a fascinating look at how the past is still shaping the present in the world of finance.