Banking Matters: An essential guide to commercial banking in an age of disruption

I was one of the people who said "how can I get to grips with the basics of today's banking system?" - without reading excessively dumbed down information or wading through worthy, accurate but deeply dull tomes on the topic. There wasn't such a book, I've checked. But there is now. It's concise, focused and relevant. Thank you Duncan

I have been reading this book over the last several weeks. Still haven’t finished it but have read enough to know that this is a real accomplishment on the author's part.The book stands out for the niche it occupies and for its readability. There are many books out there that either go deep into finance-related topics (e.g. recommended readings for CFA) or those that are aimed at a more worldly reader (e.g. Niall Fergusson’s The Ascent of Money). Duncan’s book sits very neatly in the middle – it covers all the key topics related to mainstream banking but still goes into good depth which will be appreciated by a more-than-casual reader.What also helps is that, with some knowledge of banking, you could actually pick specific chapters for a refresher / understanding, without going about it in seriatim. As an example, I jumped from the first section on the ‘Role of Banks in the Economy’ to the third one on ‘Core of Banking Business Model’ (brilliantly written) to the fifth one on ‘Risk Management’.The book is easy to read, even for those without background in banking. Despite the fact it deals with several highbrow / complex topics, it handles them in a language that makes it easy to follow without skimping the nuance. As an example, when discussing the capital structure of banks in chapter 3, there is adequate detail around the use of leverage in a bank’s business model which I found very useful.I would strongly recommend this book to students, practitioners and observers of banking – doesn’t matter which market or role they are in!

haven't read the whole book yet, but so far it's really good. Clear explanations and focused on the important concepts. Better than any other book I've read about banking so far from an outsiders perspective(IT, fintech). Only thing that is a bit disappointing is that there is still a chapter on "fractional reserve banking" rather than "credit creation". See Richard A. Werner's papers for that: "Can banks individually create money out of nothing? — The theories and the empirical evidence".Other than that: great book. Worth the money so far, definitely a buy.

Really comprehensive book that covers everything you know about banking including the role banks play in the economy, the inner works of payment industry, the role of regulation and how banking products work. Although detailed the book is easy understand for people with no experience of the industry with a lot of practical examples on how things work. Fantastic book for people who just want to get an understanding of the workings of the banking sector.

An excellent primer for anyone looking to understand how a Bank works. Very often, those who work in Financial Services or Banks or Consulting firms have a very narrow and siloed understanding of what their department or product does.To disrupt and challenge the industry, any new entrant, wannabe bank, new age bank, etc, must understand what various arms of a Bank do, what risks the Bank as a firm needs to manage, and what that means for the future of a bank/payment gateway etc.

As an ex-banker who is now in the Fintech business, I find this book an excellent read and ideal for my teammates who come from a more “tech” rather than a “fin” background to prep them to do their jobs better! It’s all-in-one, simple to read and understand, and very educational for the team to understand banking and what’s on a banker’s mind in this age of “disruption”.

Really helpful explanation of banking and its critical role. Simple but not dumbed down. The author has written a great overview in the first few chapters with more details on specific topics to follow, so this book feels like both an introduction to read and a reference to dip into as needed.Very helpful for anyone who wants to work for, partner with or sell to banks.

If you are curious about how banking works, and why banking is an important function in society - then this is the book for you. The theory is well explained and supported with the necessary examples. I work with HSBC (as an external supplier) and I would highly recommend the book if you are involved with banking, or interested in how commercial banks operate.