Sometimes you read a book, and it feels like your own father came back to life and is speaking to you.

Introduction

The Crisis We Face

1. The Value of Money

Decisions on Board

The Function of Money

Joseph in Egypt

The Properties of Money

Money as a Social Product

Conclusion

Summary

2. The Origins of Money

Money: Past, Present, and Future

Gold in the Bible

The Most Marketable Commodity

Money and Taxes

No Committee Needed

Conclusion

Summary

3. Maintaining Honest Money

Market Scales

The Seller's Advantage

Scales of Justice

Honest Metal Money

Honest Paper Money

Conclusion

Summary

4. Debasing the Currency

Weights and Measures

The Process of Debasement

Who Wins, Who Loses?

Conclusion

Summary

5. The Contagion of Inflation

Gresham's Law

The Spread of Corrupt Products

Something for Nothing

Price Controls

Conclusion

Summary

6. When the State Monopolizes Money

A Sign of Sovereignty

A New Form of Debasement

Will the Public Revolt?

Higher Tax Brackets

Two Kinds of Counterfeiters

Conclusion

Summary

7. Biblical Banking

Waiting

Banks, Risk, and Interest

Conclusion 

Summary

8. Fractional Reserve Banking

Warehouse Receipts

Creating Money Out of Thin Air

Boom and Bust   Conclusion   

Summary   

9. Protecting the Counterfeiters

Legalized Fraud   

The Lender of Last Resort   

Bailouts and Moral Hazard   

Conclusion   

Summary   

10. A Biblical Monetary System

Honest Weights and Measures

Abolish Fractional Reserves

Free Market Banking

Conclusion

Summary

Conclusion

Biblical Stewardship   

Planning for the Future   

Summary

The free, official PDF edition of Honest Money: The Biblical Blueprint for Money and Banking by Gary North is hosted by the Mises Institute:

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Detailed Table of Contents

Below is the complete structure of the book, detailing the chapters, page numbers, and primary subtopics/themes covered throughout:

Introduction (p. vii)

• • The widespread misunderstanding of money by economists and the public

  • Economic fallacies (e.g., expert advice during currency devaluations)

  • Biblical alternative principles for money and banking

1. The Value of Money (p. 1)

• • The biblical passage: "When money failed in Egypt" (Genesis 47:15)

  • The Robinson Crusoe model: Scarcity, preferences, and subjective value

  • The doctrine of sunk costs and future-oriented evaluation

  • Subjective vs. objective economic valuation

2. The Origins of Money (p. 17)

• • How direct exchange (barter) transitions into indirect exchange

  • Austrian economic theory on the emergence of money as the most marketable commodity

  • Characteristics of sound money (portability, durability, divisibility, scarcity)

  • Gold and silver as historical standards

3. Maintaining Honest Money (p. 31)

• • Weights and measures: "Diverse weights are an abomination" (Proverbs 20:23)

  • Ethical definitions of monetary units

  • Private contracts vs. state intervention

4. Debasing the Currency (p. 45)

• • Biblical warnings against debasement: "Your silver has become dross" (Isaiah 1:22)

  • Historical coin-clipping and sweating

  • Legal tender laws as state-sanctioned fraud

5. The Contagion of Inflation (p. 55)

• • Inflation as a tax and form of theft

  • How price increases spread through an economy

  • Social and moral erosion resulting from currency devaluation

6. When the State Monopolizes Money (p. 67)

• • Government monopolies over money creation

  • Fiat paper currency and central banking

  • The loss of individual liberty and growth of state power

7. Biblical Banking (p. 81)

• • The distinction between loan banking and warehouse storage

  • Refuting misunderstandings on the biblical prohibition of usury

  • Honest bailments and storage fees vs. debt contracts

8. Fractional Reserve Banking (p. 95)

• • Warehouse receipts issued in excess of actual reserves

  • How fractional reserve banking generates artificial expansion and contraction

  • Economic instability, inflation, and business cycles

9. Protecting the Counterfeiters (p. 109)

• • Legal protections granted to fractional-reserve institutions

  • Central banks acting as lenders of last resort

  • Systemic moral hazard created by government bailouts

10. A Biblical Monetary System (p. 127)

• • Principles for restoring honest weights and measures

  • Abolishing fractional-reserve privileges and government money monopolies

  • Free-market money and 100% reserve banking

Conclusion (p. 141)

• • Summary of biblical stewardship in monetary affairs

  • Long-term outlook and practical advice for individuals

Bibliography (p. 151)

Index (p. 155)