Since money is just an agreed mechanism of exchange, there are many different kinds of money, and endless possibilities for re-creating it. Local Money' begins with an introduction to money and a history of alternative currencies, and then dedicates a chapter each to a series of experiments with money - Time banking, Local Exchange Trading Schemes, Berkshares, Germany's local currencies and the Argentinian barter schemes during the country's economic collapse in the 90s. North then explains the latest round of experiments from the Transition Towns movement, and then ends with some tantalizing glimpses of the future of money.
The four Transition currencies get the most attention. This is the really practical bit if you're ready to have a go at creating your own money - lots of advice about getting buy-in from businesses, how much to print, why you should think long and hard about the name of your currency, tax implications, and so on.
Peter North knows that everything in the book is an experiment, and the book is great at breaking down historical examples to see what worked and what didn't. It's honest too, acknowledging the failures and limitations of what has been tried so far as well as the successes. If you're ready to embark on the rather exciting journey of local money in your town, this is the most helpful book I've come across so far.
However, the book might have been better titled 'Local currency', rather than 'local money'. The book is great on currencies, but there could have been more on other kinds of local money, such as credit unions, local bonds, microfinance, or credit clearance. Some of these get a passing mention, but I would have liked to read more.
If you've read about alternative currencies in the past and wondered how you go about creating one, this is the book for you though. Let's hope it's a catalyst for a new generation of local money projects.