final book layout
DESCRIPTION
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“The man whose poverty fits easy upon him is rich… For what avails it, (is) how much a man hath in his
chest.” - Seneca
CONTENTS
Introduction..............................................pg. 1
1. Music for Money....................................pg. 2 - 3
2. Cigars & Wealth...................................pg. 4 - 5
3. Money & Happiness..............................pg. 6 - 7
4. City Income...........................................pg. 8 - 9
1
Money affects everything around us. Some glorify its existence and some loathe it. This book attempts to highlight a few small issues as an insight into how money is viewed, used and abused today. With commentaries written by my friend Paul Adams, I have designed and illustrated the content myself.
Paweł Adamek
INTRODUCTION
1 MUSIC FOR MONEYThe motives behind making music have certainly changed over the years alongside constant changes in society and economy. So what happened in the time between Beethoven, The Beatles and the Black Eyed Peas?
Beethoven is arguably one of the greatest composers of all time. He was one of many of his time – such as Mozart - who were responsible for some of the most technically proficient musical writings ever. But what were his motives? He – like many composers - was born into a musical family. Clearly there was a traditional influence. Money resulted as a by-product to his talents, which he developed as a young boy, who more than likely had no idea what his talents could earn him. His passion for music was his driving force.
Is this passion for making music still alive today? I would say it certainly is. But there is a catch. The money. Since Beethoven, music gradually turned into much more of a commodity, a way to make money. The birth of modern pop music has been a stab in the side for raw musical passion. The Black Eyed Peas charged Petra Ecclestone one million dollars for playing at her wedding. Eric Clapton also played. He charged nothing. It’s good to know that an awareness of this passion for music is still alive in some musicians. Paul Adams
2
4
2CIGARS & WEALTHFor centuries we have smoked cigars. Christopher Columbus is credited with the introduction of cigars to Europe and subsequently the rest of the world after his expeditions to the Americas where tribal natives were discovered to be smoking tobacco. So how have we come from tribal natives to wealthy businessmen?
In its introduction to the rest of the world there certainly was no class divide in cigar smokers. It wasn’t until the commercial production of cigars that this became something of an issue. The com-mercialisation of cigars meant that cigars developed classifications. These classifications would in turn directly correlate with class divides in society throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. i.e. – the rich smoked higher grade cigars and the poor smoked lower grade ones.
Today cigars are seen as something of a speciality. Cigarettes rapidly overtook cigars and the ever-increasing awareness of smoking certainly impacts on their popularity. However, this still does not seem to have abolished the common stereotype of the wealthy businessman puffing away on his cigar. It is this stereotype that I believe has ingrained the idea of smoking a cigar in people as a special occurrence at celebrations. You smoke a cigar, it makes you feel richer.
Paul Adams
5
3 MONEY & HAPPINESSPeople generally state the proverb that, “money can’t buy happiness”. Even the Beatles sang, “money can’t buy me love”. I believe that there are certainly different kinds of happiness. Money buys us commodities ranging from a chocolate bar from the corner shop to a spanking new Aston Martin. And these things will make us happy. Happy for a time until we need a top up of our happiness. Then we go out and buy something else. This is not genuine happiness. It leaves us with a distorted smile only simulates and replicates genuine happiness.
True happiness comes with discovering truths and questioning existence. Philosophers are deceptively seen as pessimists. When in fact they are just dissatisfied with not knowing the origins and purpose of existence. By knowing all, surely this would bring happiness? This is why the philosopher crawls through Plato’s metaphorical cave searching for the answers to life’s questions and struggles to reach the outside and experience pure goodness and happiness.
Ignorance is bliss. False bliss.
”It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; it is better to be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied.” – John Stuart Mill Paul Adams
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4 CITY INCOMEThe largest social hubs within society have always been the centres of control for human beings. Cities seem to ooze power and wealth. A recent study managed to prove that the larger the city, the higher the average income is within the city itself. When everyone wants a slice of the pie, it’s no surprise that cities are ever-expanding. There becomes a vicious cycle. The more people that pile into a city, the higher becomes the average income. This attracts more people and the cycle continues. It is certainly questionable how long this could go on for before buildings overrule our landscape.
It is interesting to consider the source of this expo-nential expansion. That being, the irresistible urge for wealth and prosperity for the self. However, given the massive scale in which this occurs leads to a belief that this seems completely natural. This is survival of the fittest at the current stage of hu-man evolution. Humans compete with the minds and their skills above all else. The mind has become the most powerful muscle. As Frances Bacon said, ‘knowledge is power’. And we flock to the cities to gain this.
Paul Adams
9
thankyou.
