In 1970, Harry Browne was unknown in the investment world when his first book, How You Can Profit from the Coming Devaluation, was published. Recognizing the disastrous monetary policy of the U.S. government, he warned that the dollar would be devalued, inflation could be severe, and gold, silver, and foreign currencies should skyrocket in value.

The book's theme clashed with the prevailing wisdom, but it struck a chord with tens of thousands of Americans. The book helped many survive, and even profit, during the economic troubles of the seventies; and it made the New York Times bestseller list. According to Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr. - political commentator, activist, proponent of the Austrian School of economics, and chairman of the Ludwig von Mises Institute - How You Can Profit from the Coming Devaluation is generally recognized as the founding document of the hard money movement, which combined the insights of the Austrian economists with a practical investment strategy."

In 1974, Harry wrote, How You Can Profit from a Monetary Crisis. It demonstrated why we were where we were in 1974, and what must follow. The principles Harry wrote about were presented in a different way from that of the Devaluation book. There the evidence was on the monetary aspects of the market. In the Monetary Crisis the whole range of marketplace action was encompassed. Yet the two presentations were complimentary to each other. How You Can Profit from a Monetary Crisis struck a chord with Americans, too, and it reached number one on the New York Times bestseller list.

This book is a compilation of the most important chapters in How You Can Profit from the Coming Devaluation and How You Can Profit from a Monetary Crisis and they are as relevant today as they were forty years ago.

Part 1 - Money contains the first nine chapters of the Devaluation book. Fortunately, prior to Harry's death in 2006, he edited the chapters in preparation for publication. I think you'll find that they are the clearest and most extensive explanations of how the government money system works and perverts the free market.

Part 2 - Why there are Crises contains the first fifteen chapters of the Monetary Crisis and were edited by Harry, too. They explain basic economic principles. Some readers may think economic principles are boring and be tempted to skip them. But I urge you to read the chapters. Harry had the ability to make economics exciting, and those individuals who understand the basic principles can approach their investments with conviction.

Part 3 - The Nature of the Crisis reviews events of the past that led inexorably to the present situation and demonstrate why we are where we are today. It also includes an explanation of the international monetary system.

Finally, the brief Afterword directs you to another short book by Harry Browne that can help you get started creating a bulletproof portfolio you can walk away from - while protecting you from inflation, deflation, or recession, while allowing you to profit from prosperous periods. Harry introduced his balanced “Permanent Portfolio" in the 1980s. It made money during one of the great stock run-ups of American history and more recently, according to Paul Douglas Boyer of MadMoneyMachine.com in his recent blog, 2011 Lazy Portfolio Results, “Incredibly, the Harry Browne Permanent Portfolio wins again. It beat all other non-permanent portfolios by at least 5.5%!" So it's evident that Harry's ideas and teachings are as relevant today as they were in the 1970s.

According to Harry, “Everything flows from the way the money system is handled. It is the cause of inflation, of depressions, of any sudden changes in the economy. Not one person in a thousand really understands what money is. A proper grasp of it will give you the key that unlocks the many puzzles of national economic events. Without that understanding, it's impossible to think for oneself; instead, you're forced to rely upon the superficial conclusions of people with conflicting opinions and credentials."

This book covers 99% of all you need to know about money and its effect upon the economy. It's the clearest and most extensive explanation of how the government money system works and perverts the free market. Equally important, it's written in language that any reasonably intelligent layman can understand.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

PART 1 - MONEY

• The Role of Money
• What Is Money?
• What Is Paper?
• What Is Inflation?
• The Government and Money
• How To Create Money
• Mass Confusion
• Inflation Starts To Gallop
• Who Will Protect You?

PART 2 - WHY THERE ARE CRISES

• Getting What You Want
• The Marketplace
• The Government Intervenes
• The Market Responds
• Money
• Inflation
• Falling Currencies
• Depression
• Runaway Inflation
• Price Controls
• The General Welfare
• A Visit to Rhinegold

PART 3 - THE NATURE OF THE CRISIS

• The Past Leads to the Present
• The international Monetary System
• Your Future

AFTERWARD

APPENDICES

• Acknowledgments
• Glossary (The Coming Devaluation)
• Glossary (Monetary Crisis)
• About the Author