Tuesday 3 February 2015

Catch it while you can! Rogue PDF copy of The Heretic's Guide to Global Finance is on the loose


Ahoy, it's been pirated!

My 2013 book - the Heretic's Guide to Global Finance: Hacking the Future of Money - has found its way onto Aaaaarg.org, and also onto a Belgian activist's dropbox, where it is easily downloadable (she was kind enough to send me an email saying that she was "sad to know that it is not being distributed under an open license, since it would benefit many people who cannot afford to buy it").

I'm not against pirating, provided it's going to help humanity, and I hope my book can do that in some small way. I can't speak for my publishers Pluto Press, but they are swashbucklers who publish the likes of Chomsky, so I'm sure they're not surprised. Besides, the book is about HACKING THE GLOBAL FINANCIAL SECTOR! so screw it, let's let it circulate globally! For those who don't know, it's endorsed by Cambridge economics professor Ha-Joon Chang and Bill McKibben of 350.org and has received some great reviews (check out GoodReads reviews here and Amazon reviews here). You can see details, endorsements and reviews on this page.

If you take it for free though, please share it too

Look, it's obviously a lot of work to write books like this, and I almost bankrupted myself with the energy I put in. So, if you'd like to use the pirated version, please consider the spirit of open culture, and share it with at least one other person so that it can travel far and wide. Ideally share it with 3 people, especially those who do not have enough to buy the print version. (you can email from here)

Also, if you've got £1, please consider flipping me a donation 

As mentioned in my support page, I love producing new ideas for how to rewire the financial system, and like to stay independent whilst doing that. You can use the Paypal button below to donate me a loaf of bread (£1.50) if you're a student, unemployed or suffering cash flow problems, or a small beer (£3) if you're fully employed and have a pension. This all adds up and can really help me to stay independent.


Finally, please send me feedback!

I'm not one of those people who claims to know everything that is wrong with the world and how to fix it. Shifting the destructive tendencies of the financial sector and harnessing it towards positive ends is a work in progress, and one that takes many perspectives. If you think I've missed something out, or have ideas and projects you think I should consider, please send me an email (see side panel) and tell me! Hope you enjoy ;)

Adios amigos!