Financial journalist Brendan Greeley traces the history and global influence of the United States dollar over the past five centuries. The book examines how the dollar evolved from a unit of exchange into the dominant international reserve currency, shaping trade, finance, geopolitics, and economic development around the world. Through historical analysis and contemporary examples, Greeley explores the institutions, policies, crises, and power structures that have sustained the dollar's central role in the global financial system and considers the challenges that may affect its future