Gold

Author: Lepidi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: The word "gold" can evoke countless associations in people's minds—legends and historical facts alike. Gold, in whatever form it takes, never fails to stir emotions. Over thousands of years, these two words have built a magnificent structure, with its radiant facade displaying opulence and concealing sorrow and hardship. The motivations behind humanity's conquest of this "marvelous metal" from the remote mines of the "Land of the Rising Sun" are as diverse as they are inscrutable, ranging from noble sentiments to secret desires. The various phenomena of gold, even those that seem contradictory, demand plausible explanations. Gold is synonymous with wealth, yet its production has long stagnated due to non-technical reasons. Moreover, the countries that produce it do not necessarily possess it. "There is no better currency than gold," yet major nations that no longer use it as currency continue to thrive. It is said that gold reserves are indispensable, yet there are numerous countries with almost no gold reserves. International monetary institutions have decided to abandon all gold-based reference systems, yet most countries continue to accumulate gold. So many contradictions and peculiarities make this book worth a moment's pause for reflection.