Loved this conversation. I'm working on a novel right now, Galloglass, (actually a series) that will illustrate the role of a central bank. It starts in the 12th Century, narrowing in on the tiny war between England's King John (Hugh de Lacy fights it for him) and John de Courcy in Ireland - a war precipitated by de Courcy's minting his own coins. It's a pivotal moment in history that can show rather than tell the problems associated with money creation. I want to move the story forward several hundred years to the establishment of the English central bank in the 1600s. You're right - they don't teach this stuff in schools (I'm also the author of Cost Benefit Jr. - an economics textbook for elementary-aged kids) but I'm not even sure a class on central banking would get the info across as well as a story, showing the impetus behind a central bank's creation, what its purposes are, etc.

I'm toying around right now with perhaps changing the novel/series title away from Galloglass (which is a term for mercenary) and using something related to DeCourcy's coin instead. But we'll see. Good job on this podcast guys - more people need to hear this stuff.