economic history
The Blockchain of Botany: What Shakespeare’s Healers Can Teach Modern Finance
Discover how a 16th-century story of botanical remedies offers profound lessons for modern finance, from blockchain technology to resilient investing strategies.
The Ghost in the Machine: Why Bethlehem’s Steel Past Haunts America’s Economic Future
Bethlehem Steel’s legacy is a microcosm of US economic change, holding key lessons on political risk, labor markets, and the future of investing.
The Investor’s Blueprint: What an Artist’s 18th-Century Home Teaches Us About 21st-Century Finance
Discover how an artist’s home restoration offers profound lessons for modern finance, blending historical value with fintech innovation for a resilient portfolio.
Echoes from the Archive: Timeless Lessons on Power, Innovation, and Risk for Today’s Investor
A journey into the FT archives reveals timeless lessons on innovation, political risk, and the human drama behind the markets.
The Whale in the Portfolio: A 19th-Century Lesson on Stranded Assets and the Modern Energy Transition
The 19th-century collapse of the whale oil industry offers a stark warning for today’s fossil fuel investors about stranded assets and technological disruption.
The National Capitalist: How Blockchain and AI Are Challenging a 150-Year-Old Economic Prophecy
Friedrich Engels predicted the state would become the ultimate capitalist. A new letter asks if fintech and blockchain are the tools to finally topple it.
Operation Ajax: How a 1953 Coup in Iran Forged Decades of Geopolitical Risk for Investors
The 1953 Iranian coup, a pivotal moment in history, offers timeless lessons for modern investors on geopolitical risk, resource nationalism, and economics.
Unlocking Africa’s Future: A 70-Year-Old German Blueprint for Solving Today’s Debt Crisis
A 1953 debt deal for post-war Germany offers a powerful blueprint for solving the escalating sovereign debt crisis facing African nations today.
The Price of a Masterpiece: Unpacking the Economics of Basic Income for Artists
Ireland’s Basic Income for Artists revives a Dutch model. This post explores the economics, risks, and fintech future of state-backed creativity.
From a Mumbai Library to the Blockchain: The Timeless Principles Shaping Modern Finance
A nostalgic look at a 1960s library reveals timeless lessons for today’s world of fintech, blockchain, and global investing.
The Mandate’s Shadow: How a Century-Old British Policy Shapes Today’s Middle East Markets
To understand today’s Mideast market volatility, we must look to the British Mandate, whose economic policies created a legacy of risk for modern investors.
Boom, Bust, and Beauty: What a Thatcher-Era Play Teaches Today’s Investors
A powerful stage play about 1980s Britain offers timeless lessons on market cycles, materialism, and risk for today’s investors and finance leaders.