Renowned economist Josh Ryan-Collins provides the ideal pedagogical resource for anyone concerned with the major role central banks play in shaping all of our economic opportunities and daily lives. This book provides a concise, authoritative overview of the history and stated purpose of central banks. With critiques of principles and actions that have emerged since the 2008 crash, Ryan-Collins's own and others' proposals offer a solution of how to reform them. In a clear, easy-to-follow structure, it offers historical-normative descriptions of the evolution and role of central banks alongside "myth-busting" chapters explaining the salient critiques of, and proposed alternatives to, principles at the heart of central-bank thinking. Along the way, it covers the major issues preoccupying critical central banking studies and political economics today, including housing inequalities, climate change, digital currencies, and the potential impact of artificial intelligence.