We are at the beginning of a substantial “Money Crunch”, where money scarcity will result in a general squeeze in funding support for education, social services, elderly care, etc.

Lietaer is the author of nine books on money and finances, including "The Future of Money" (Random House, 2001), The Mystery of Money (Riemann Verlag, 2000) and a book for kids, called 'The World of Money' (Arena Verlag, 2001). Formerly professor of international finance at the University of Louvain, Lietaer is currently a fellow at the Center for Sustainable Resources at the University of California, Berkeley. Beginning this fall, he will be a professor at Naropa University. Here, Lietaer shares his views on the shortcomings of our conventional currency system, the benefits of creating a complementary currency, and ways to effect lasting social change.