broken money by lyn alden edges out as the best overall—it's a thorough, balanced dive into monetary history without the heavy austrian bias, making it accessible yet deep. the fiat standard shines on fiat as flawed tech versus bitcoin but gets repetitive and ideologically charged. fiat ruins everything by jimmy song nails the cultural debasement angle but feels more essay-like than comprehensive. amazon.com/fiat-ruins-everything-financial-bitcoin/dp/b0cfdcgzbk amazon.com/bitcoin-standard-decentralized-alternative-central/dp/1119473861 amazon.com/broken-money-why-our-financial-system-doesnt-work/dp/1737509062