Leila Johnston and Fraser Allen are back to take you behind the scenes at the Library of Mistakes. And in this packed episode we...
•Hear from theatre director and actor Liam Rees about his show The Land That Never Was. It's based on the adventures of 19th century Scottish conman Gregor MacGregor, who sold bonds on behalf of a South American country that was a figment of his imagination!
•Explore what happened at the Weekend of Mistakes in Hay-on-Wye (including clips from speakers).
•Chat to the team behind Leavers' Money Skills, helping Scottish school-leavers to cope with the life of finance ahead of them.
•And our Librarian Helen Williams discusses our books on Russia, Putin and Trump!

If you have any feedback, ideas or can name the song briefly alluded to at the end of this episode (and the band that originally sung it) – you could win a Library of Mistakes mug! – simply email [email protected] or [email protected]

Russell Napier enjoys a fascinating chat with Mauricio Drelichman who (together with Hans Joachim-Voth) is the author of Lending to the Borrower from Hell: Debt, Taxes, and Default in the Age of Philip II. Together, they explore how this account of the freely-defaulting 16th century King of Spain changes our perceptions of financial history.

In the first of a new thread of monthly episodes, we take you behind the scenes at the Library of Mistakes. Join us as we turn the tables on our resident interrogator Professor Russell Napier by putting the questions to him. We also interview David Clarke of Didasko, Helen Bradley of Future Asset and our librarian Helen Williams. And fear not, Russell's regular interviews with financial historians will also continue here as normal.
Shelf Life is presented by Leila Johnston & Fraser Allen – please do contact us with any feedback, ideas or questions at [email protected] or [email protected].

Russell Napier quizzes Felix Martin about his book, Money – The Unauthorised Biography. A fascinating listen for anyone interested in the true nature of money, illuminated through entertaining examples such as the Irish Bank Strike of 1970, the Argentinian Crédito and the Bristol Pound.

Lionel Barber, the former editor of the Financial Times, discusses his fascinating biography of Masayoshi Son, one of the world's least-known but most consequential investors. Regarding himself as an 'empire builder' rather than a CEO, Son was briefly the world's richest man and has ruffled many feathers on his rise from a Korean slum in Japan to the modern-day temples of power. Russell Napier asks the questions.

•The Library of Mistakes runs an outstanding course called the Practical History of Financial Markets. To find out more, go to: www.libraryofmistakes.com/course

Money & Promises (Seven Deals That Changed World) is Paolo Zannoni's first book and one of Russell Napier's favourite books of the year. For as well as being President of the luxury Italian fashion group Prada, Paolo is a highly experienced banker who has combined his professional expertise with a passion for exploring ledger archives to create a ground-breaking work of financial history.

•The Library of Mistakes runs an outstanding course called the Practical History of Financial Markets. To find out more, go to: www.libraryofmistakes.com/course

"Despite being a fully paid-up member of the economist tribe for many years, I’ve concluded that most economists don’t really understand money," says David McWilliams, co-founder of Kilkenomics, (the world's first economics and comedy festival). David's new book, Money: A Story of Humanity, explains why he takes this entertainingly provocative position – and backs it up with powerful arguments. The book has received many plaudits. Professor Brian Cox describes it as: "A breathtaking, expansive and imaginative ride through the history and future of money from an author who truly understands it." And this free-ranging discussion with Russell Napier – embracing Karl Marx, Van Morrison and James Joyce – is just as fascinating.

•To discover more about Kilkenomics, go to: https://www.kilkenomics.com

•The Library of Mistakes runs an outstanding course called the Practical History of Financial Markets. To find out more, go to: www.libraryofmistakes.com/course

In this lively episode, Anat Admati (Professor of Finance and Economics at Stanford) explains what she believes to be wrong about banking, and how it should be changed. Anat is co-author (with Martin Hellwig) of The Bankers' New Clothes, originally published in 2013, then expanded and re-published this year to encompass the era of increased regulation. Interviewer Russell Napier challenges Anat on some of her opinions, and Anat challenges Russell back, making for a fascinating listen.

•The Library of Mistakes runs an outstanding course called the Practical History of Financial Markets. To find out more, go to: www.libraryofmistakes.com/course

Technology is transforming our societies, promising a far deeper disruption than the industrial revolutions. As a result, humanity is at a major turning point, and how we respond to the merger of technology and financialisation will decide our future. Are we heading for "enlightened communism" or "despotic feudalism"? Russell Napier quizzes Viktor Shvets on his throught-provoking book The Twilight Before The Storm.

•The Library of Mistakes runs an outstanding course called the Practical History of Financial Markets. To find out more, go to: www.libraryofmistakes.com/course

Join Russell Napier for a fascinating discussion with Harold James, author of Seven Crashes: The Economic Crises That Shaped Globalisation. And unlike many of our episodes, brace yourself for a relatively optimistic conclusion!

•The Library of Mistakes runs an outstanding course called the Practical History of Financial Markets. To find out more, go to: www.libraryofmistakes.com/course