While paramount to the modern economy, understanding how the banking system works has been usually cast aside from overall economic education. Even in the aftermath of the recent financial crisis, which has underlined the vital importance of banking in the economy, the workings of the sector...

The article analyses recent developments in business investment for a large group of EU countries, using a broad set of analytical tools and data sources. We find that the assessment of whether or not investment is currently low varies across benchmarks and countries. At the euro area level and...

Part I: A History of Banking -- 1.A brief history of money and credit -- 2.Banking in the 20th Century -- Part II: How Banking Works -- 3.Money and Inflation -- 4.Money and Banking -- 5.Banking and the economy -- 6.Investment Banking -- 7.Banking in Crisis -- 8.Financial Instability -- Part III:...