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| Making Money (Discworld) | 
enlarge | Author: Terry Pratchett Publisher: Harper Category: Book
List Price: $25.95 Buy New: $3.75 You Save: $22.20 (86%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:   (98 reviews) Sales Rank: 46083
Languages: English (Unknown), English (Published) Media: Hardcover Edition: 1 Number Of Items: 1 Pages: 400 Shipping Weight (lbs): 1 Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6 x 1.5
ISBN: 0061161640 Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914 EAN: 9780061161643 ASIN: 0061161640
Publication Date: September 18, 2007 Release Date: September 18, 2007 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
The Ankh-Morpork Post Office is running like . . . well, not at all like a government office. The mail is delivered promptly; meetings start and end on time; five out of six letters relegated to the Blind Letter Office ultimately wend their way to the correct addresses. Postmaster General Moist von Lipwig, former arch-swindler and confidence man, has exceeded all expectations?including his own. So it's somewhat disconcerting when Lord Vetinari summons Moist to the palace and asks, "Tell me, Mr. Lipwig, would you like to make some real money?" Vetinari isn't talking about wages, of course. He's referring, rather, to the Royal Mint of Ankh-Morpork, a venerable institution that haas run for centuries on the hereditary employment of the Men of the Sheds and their loyal outworkers, who do make money in their spare time. Unfortunately, it costs more than a penny to make a penny, so the whole process seems somewhat counterintuitive. Next door, at the Royal Bank, the Glooper, an "analogy machine," has scientifically established that one never has quite as much money at the end of the week as one thinks one should, and the bank's chairman, one elderly Topsy (nee Turvy) Lavish, keeps two loaded crossbows at her desk. Oh, and the chief clerk is probably a vampire. But before Moist has time to fully consider Vetinari's question, fate answers it for him. Now he's not only making money, but enemies too; he's got to spring a prisoner from jail, break into his own bank vault, stop the new manager from licking his face, and, above all, find out where all the gold has gone?otherwise, his life in banking, while very exciting, is going to be really, really short. . . .
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| Customer Reviews: Read 93 more reviews...
  Good potential & still worth reading, but not his best (3 1/2 stars) October 3, 2008 Terry Pratchett has slowly but surely been bringing Discworld in general and Ankh-Morpork in particular up to the "real" world (or at least a Victorian equivalent) and in Making Money takes on one of the few remaining barriers: the economic system. Since most cynics will agree that money-driven economy is a scam, who better to do this than one of Discworld's premier con artists, Moist Von Lipwig (previously seen in the excellent 'Going Postal')?
Alas, something doesn't quite click in this book, which may make it a disappointment to hardcore Pratchett fans: the ending is especially contrived, and rather than Moist using one of his ingenious schemes to get uot of the conundrum he's in, the book pulls a loose deux ex machina.
As usual, there's lots of sarcastic social commentary, and some wry dialogue and narrative snarking -- we expect no less from Pratchett. Probably my favorite aspect of this was one of the villains. My favorite character in the series is Lord Vetinari, and the villain of this is blatantly (and literally) a Vetinari "wanna-be" so it was fun to see someone trying to emulate my hero so BADLY.
Others might not be as forgiving as I am with this, and there's every chance that they will be disappointed if they go into this expecting the 5-star quality of many of his other, better works. Keep your expectations reasonable, though, and it's worth reading once.
  Chuckle double effect! October 1, 2008 Making Money is a Discworld novel and features the Man in the Golden Suit, Ankh-Morpork's Postmaster Moist von Lipwig.
Moist is bored. He misses his old, more adventurous life, back when he was Albert Spangler the con artist. So when he's not running the Post Office, he likes climbing to its roof at night, and has already picked all its locks.
But when Mrs Topsy Lavish, chairwoman and owner of 50% of the Royal Bank of Ankh-Morpork, but owner also of Mr. Fusspot the dog who owns 1%, dies and leaves her shares to her dog and bequeaths Mr. Fusspot to Moist... he has no choice but try and make it work again.
It starts with the Mint, which actually runs at a loss. Since making coins costs too much and people are already using stamps as currency, Moist devises the first bank notes, which soon have the same success as his stamps.
In the meantime, Cosmo Lavish tries to take Vetinari's identity and Moist's girlfriend Adora Belle Dearheart uncovers ancient golems buried in the desert. And all the while the Glooper gloops.
I really like the character of Moist von Lipwig and was glad to read about him again. The book is of course filled with references that make you chuckle twice: when you get them, and when you find yourself clever because to got them... it's the Discworld double effect!
  Awesome August 12, 2008 0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Best thing ever. Terry Pratchett is like the coolest person ever. People that don't like it are confused.
  A great book! July 6, 2008 1 out of 3 found this review helpful
I love this book, like always Mr. Pratchett takes something familiar to us all(money and economy). Sticks it in a fantasy world (complete with a flying star turtle), and completely runs amok! I almost missed this gem, since the store decided to put it in with the financial books. Though I have to admit, I did learn about making money!
  Pratchett just keeps getting better! May 25, 2008 1 out of 3 found this review helpful
A wry and witty commentary on society. Less of the magic and fantasy of earlier books (until you get to the golems), more social satire. A funny, well plotted, enjoyable, meaty read.
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