The Power of Gold: The History of an Obsession (Abridged)

Over the centuries, gold had stirred the passions for power and glory, for beauty and security, and even for immortality.  No other object has commanded so much veneration over such a long period of time.  The most striking feature of this long history is that gold led most of the protagonists in the drama into the ditch.  Gold had them, rather than the other way around.

Power and passion begin with the magical, religious, and artistic qualities of gold.  As the story progresses …