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Banking began in Florence, Venice and Genoa in the 14th century when Jews set up their benches in the piazzas to loan money and insure farmers crops. The ideas spread to Amsterdam and London, while the first stock exchange began in Amsterdam in 1611. Granted a charter in 1600, the East India company paid investors an average dividend of 16% per year. John Locke, by asserting that liberty was the basis for a prosperous society, influenced the United States Declaration of Independence. Lloyd's of London insurance market began in 1774. In 1776, Adam Smith explained how rational self-interest, competition and free markets would eliminate poverty. Milton Friedman maintained a country's abilities derived from its free markets while its failures came from government intervention. Bill Gates became rich by devising software that everyone wanted to buy. In the process he employed thousands in well paid jobs. In 2020, the U.S. flooded the economy with money to prevent a depression caused by a pandemic. WHO THE HELL ARE WE? is a series of short books and videos describing the evolution of civilization. Almost everyone on the planet is five times wealthier than their ancestors only 50 years ago. This astonishing phenomenon has also improved health, education, and longevity. The cause; an explosive growth in ideas and productivity. It began when we learned to control fire, evolved articulate speech and stumbled onto the way to create infinite wealth; free trade. The discovery of agriculture made us richer but we also learned how to destroy wealth. Great civilization grew up but then disappeared leaving only incredible ruins and ideas. Later books detail some of the ideas and developments that increased the average life span from about 40 years to more than 80 and the average world income from less than $3 to more than $33 per person per day (and to $140 per day in some countries).