Overview: Published annually by the Federal Government since 1878, The Statistical Abstract of the United States is the best-known statistical reference publication in the country, and perhaps, the world. You'll find it behind nearly every reference desk in U.S. libraries as the authoritative go-to source. Librarians value the Statistical Abstract as both an answer book and a guide to statistical sources. As a carefully selected collection of statistics...

"The financial sector has succeeded in depicting itself as part of the productive economy, yet for centuries banking was recognized as being parasitic. The essence of parasitism is not only to drain the host's nourishment, but also to dull the host's brain so that it does not recognize that the parasite is there. This is the illusion that much of Europe and the United States suffer under today. The aim of this book is to pierce this illusion and replace...