Fascinating book on how the world economy works

Super Imperialism by Michael Hudson

This (non-Marxist, don't let the title fool you) book describes how the dollar became the world's key currency; why the rest of the world's people work hard and save their hard-earned money - and manufacture little plastic figures of children's movies with a 6 month self life, among a whole lot of other things - so that fat United Statesians can buy resort vacations for their chihuahuas on their credit cards.

(Michael Hudson is an independent Wall Street financial economist and professor and has been an economic adviser to the Canadian, Cuban, Mexican, Russian and US governments, and to the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).)