Life & fun · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to Debt : The First 5,000 Years

David Graeber shows a stunning analysis of money's history

Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. Debt : The First 5,000 Years launched in 2015; newer entries below may have overtaken it.

1
The Evolution of Money▲94
From the debt tablets of Mesopotamia to cryptocurrencies
2016 · amazon.com · its alternatives →
2
Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital▲70
The Dynamics of Bubbles and Golden Ages
2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →
3
The First Billion Is the Hardest▲59
Reflections on a life of comebacks & America's energy future
2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →
4
Planet Money▲153
A podcast covering the global economy
2014 · its alternatives →
5
Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie and the Gospel of Wealth▲58
A practical wealth plan from an early leader
2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →
6
The House of Morgan▲57
An American danking dynasty and the rise of modern finance
2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →
7
Freakonomics▲97
A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →
8
The End of Alchemy▲60
Money, banking, and the future of the global economy
2016 · namecheap.com · its alternatives →
9
The Podcast History of our World▲65
4000 years of history in an entertaining format.
2016 · podcasthistoryofourworld.com · its alternatives →
10
Sacred Economics ▲60
"No longer is money an exception to impermanence"
2016 · sacred-economics.com · its alternatives →
11
Dark Money▲67
The hidden history of the billionaires behind...
2016 · amazon.com · its alternatives →
12
The Rational Optimist▲77
How prosperity evolves
2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →
13
Steering Clear▲56
How to avoid a debt crisis
2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →
14
Capital in the Twenty-First Century▲75
Detailed account of economic factors and flows of capital.
2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →
15
The Great Escape▲59
Health, wealth, and the origins of inequality
2016 · amazon.com · its alternatives →
16
A History of Silicon Valley▲71
The greatest creation of wealth in the history of the planet
2016 · amazon.com · its alternatives →
17
The Greatest Trade Ever▲65
How John Paulson defied Wall Street & made financial history
2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →
18
Fools Gold▲81
The inside story the financial catastrophe
2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →
19
Against the Gods▲62
The remarkable story of risk
2016 · amazon.com · its alternatives →
20
The Count of Monte Cristo▲69
"On what slender threads do life and fortune hang"
2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →
21
Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea▲58
The history behind one of the most dangerous numbers
2015 · amazon.com · its alternatives →
22
The Flight of the Silvers▲63
A world of time travel and disruption.
2016 · amazon.com · its alternatives →
23
Hardcore History - Blueprint for Armageddon▲68
First in an amazing series of podcasts about World War One.
2015 · dancarlin.com · its alternatives →
24
Trekonimics▲67
The economics of Star Trek: how do we get there?
2015 · inkshares.com · its alternatives →

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Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →