The Creature from Jekyll Island : A Second Look at the Federal Reserve

G. Edward Griffin is to be commended for this splendid work. At first glance The Creature from Jekyll Island is a huge book. While this may be daunting to some, once the book is actually started, it flows smoothly and reads quickly. There are so many fascinating tidbits of information here that the reader won't even be concerned about the size of the book.

The title refers to the formation of the Federal Reserve System, which occurred at a secret meeting at Jekyll Island, Georgia in 1910. It was at this meeting, as Griffin relates, that the "Money Trust", composed of the richest and most powerful bankers in the world, along with a U.S. Senator, wrote the proposal to launch the Federal Reserve System (which Griffin calls a banking cartel) to control the financial system so that the bankers will always come out on top. The biggest problem in modern banking, according to Griffin, is and has always been the creation of fiat money. Fiat money is money that is "declared" money by the government.

It is not backed by anything but promises and deceit. All societies were sound financially when they used gold or silver to back their currency. When the bankers finally get their way and install fiat money, the result is inflation and boom and bust cycles. Griffin gives numerous examples of this, such as repeated failures by American colonies and European states in using fiat money. The purpose of fiat money is so that the government can spend more then they take in through taxes. Without writing reams on this book, it is sufficient to say that this is a must read for anyone who is interested in learning how the money system operates.

Griffin gives comprehensive accounts of how the Fed creates money, and how this affects everyday life. I would have to say these sections are better than Murray Rothbard's book, The Case Against the Fed, because Griffin gives himself more room for explanation. Griffin does believe in the conspiratorial view of history, and he believes that the bankers are working in concert with such groups as the Council on Foreign Relations and the Trilateral Commission to bring about a socialist-world system in which an elite composed of intellectuals and bankers will rule over the entire planet. Griffin even spends a chapter outlining how this system could come about, and the consequent results of this socialist system. These chapters are a bit unsettling, but even if you aren't interested in this worldview, you can still learn much about the economy from this book. Recommended --By Jeffrey Leach on July 29, 2001

This book, while slightly marred by the occasional conspiracy theory, is a great account of one of the most important real life conspiracies of our time. It is well researched with plenty of footnotes for anyone who wants to look more deeply. It tells the real story of how bankers have lured politicians with easy money and ended up in control of most of the world. Whether or not they can keep up our (or rather, their) sleight-of-hand monetary system forever, the important thing is the power these bankers wield that should not be theirs. This book should be required reading. And by all means do your own research. Topics covered: founding of the Federal Reserve, war mongering, bail-outs, boom-bust cycles, the J.P.Morgans and Rothschilds of the world, the history of central banking in the United States, and most fascinating: how the money system really works in this country. Despite its lack of perfection, this book is by far the most relevant and interesting thing I have read about economics in a long time. It is written in terms that anyone can understand, which will immediately rule out the kind of reader who is impressed by a lot of technical jargon that supposedly demonstrates an author's mastery of the subject while only serving to confuse laymen (and experts too). --By A Customer on October 30, 1999

This book, while slightly marred by the occasional conspiracy theory, is a great account of one of the most important real life conspiracies of our time. It is well researched with plenty of footnotes for anyone who wants to look more deeply. It tells the real story of how bankers have lured politicians with easy money and ended up in control of most of the world. Whether or not they can keep up our (or rather, their) sleight-of-hand monetary system forever, the important thing is the power these bankers wield that should not be theirs. This book should be required reading. And by all means do your own research. Topics covered: founding of the Federal Reserve, war mongering, bail-outs, boom-bust cycles, the J.P.Morgans and Rothschilds of the world, the history of central banking in the United States, and most fascinating: how the money system really works in this country. Despite its lack of perfection, this book is by far the most relevant and interesting thing I have read about economics in a long time. It is written in terms that anyone can understand, which will immediately rule out the kind of reader who is impressed by a lot of technical jargon that supposedly demonstrates an author's mastery of the subject while only serving to confuse laymen (and experts too). --By A Customer on October 30, 1999