Selected Writings by Thomas H. Greco, Jr.

NEW! Money: Understanding and Creating Alternatives to Legal Tender 

Click to see the e-book version, on-line at the Chelsea Green web site. Here is Thomas Greco's latest, best, and most comprehensive treatise on money and exchange alternatives. This book explains, in clear and accessible prose, the mysteries and realities of money. It also describes concrete and realistic actions that individuals, businesses, social service agencies, and governments can take to enhance productivity and purchasing power, to protect local economies from the ravages of globalization, and to strengthen the bonds of community. This book is both a radical critique of our existing financial system and a practical, inspirational how-to manual for creating vibrant and effective community currency systems. Chelsea Green Publishing Co., 2001

Money and Debt: A Solution to the Global Crisis

This is Thomas Greco's first book about money. It explores the present monetary regime and addresses such questions as:

Why can't the government balance the budget?

It outlines an approach to solving the crisis based on private initiative and voluntary participation - an approach which is both liberative and equitable, and discusses the need to segregate the various functions that money is said to perform.

Here's the link to the complete text from the popular how-to-do-it book on local currency and exchange systems. Shows how voluntary, grass-roots initiatives can create more equitable and vital local economies.

New Money: A Creative Opportunity for Business

Describes how the world can move beyond political money and national currencies. Major traders can accomplish it by doing two relatively straight-forward things: (1) organizing a system of credit clearing exchanges at every level of the economy; (2) defining an objective universal standard of value measurement. Published in Perspectives on Business and Global Change (World Business Academy), Vol 11, No 3, September, 1997.

This paper addresses the currently "hot" issue of "backing" for local currencies. What gives a currency credibility? What, and who, stands behind it? It examines the very successful and famous Ithaca HOURS currency, suggesting where it might be vulnerable and how it might be made more secure and robust.

Proper Management of the System Trading Account

This article helps to dispel much of the confusion which usually arises about mutual credit and local currency system management, particularly about how system administration should be financed, and the legitimacy of credits or currency spent into circulation by the system.

Comment on the Wörgl Experiment with Community Currency and Demurrage  

An analysis and interpretation of the well-known 1930's local currency experiment in Austria.

Other available publications:  See Publication List and Order Form