Eske Bockelmann. Money - understanding modern society, 2025

The workbook for Eske Bockelmann’s “MONEY. Understanding Modern Society” offers a structured, condensed, and practically oriented summary of the key concepts from the original book. Here is how it contrasts with the original:

• Structure: The workbook is divided into three clear parts—Before Money, With Money, After Money—which mirror the overarching structure of the main book but in a much more distilled and accessible format.

• Purpose: While the original book is detailed and scholarly, the workbook acts as a guide or companion, helping readers focus on the essential transitions in the history and theory of money. It emphasizes understanding what money is by clearly distinguishing what money once was not.

• Content: The workbook covers milestone topics such as the culture of gifts, archaic payments, the origin and abstraction of money, value, and price, but in a way that highlights their practical relevance and relationships, serving as a quick reference or learning tool.

• Emphasis: The workbook, written with the support or input of Jürg Conzett, is designed to lower the barrier to understanding the book’s more abstract ideas. It supports learning and teaching, making the complex material more approachable and suitable for workshops or exhibitions.

In summary, while the original book offers a deep historical and philosophical exploration of money, the workbook offers a condensed, didactic, and accessible pathway to that knowledge—allowing readers to grasp the main theses and concepts quickly and apply them in discussion and education.