"From "promises to pay" on ancient Babylonian tablets to the insolvency of present-day consumerist America, this program explains the origins of credit and debt and why credit networks are central to civilization. Historian Niall Ferguson examines financial transactions recorded in cuneiform; the transition from Roman numerals to Arabic symbols for greater speed and efficiency among medieval Italian bankers; notions surrounding the practice of usury during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance; and the rise of the Medici, who built their family's fortune as foreign exchange dealers. The program ties into contemporary issues by visiting Memphis, Tennessee-an epicenter of barbecue and bankruptcies. Distributed under license from BBC Worldwide."--Container.