Global Payments
Glenbrook's "Global Payments" provides the go-to-answers to the big questions about global payments. In clear and lively writing, the author explains the common model behind national payments systems all over the world, what actually happens in a cross-border payment, and how fintech innovators are changing the industry. The book describes payments innovations in the rails, in the products and services, and new out-of-the-box alternatives. It explores real-time retail payments (aka Faster Payments) and how these systems are facilitating financial inclusion. Anyone in the payments industry - from anywhere in the world - can benefit from understanding this big-picture view.
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I'll start by saying that my expectations for Global Payments were probably off, and that's on me. I could have checked some reviews or even just look at the page count before buying it. But in my defense, when Glenbrook publishes something on payments, I assume it's going to be thorough, detailed, and insightful—because that's the standard they've set with Payments Systems in the U.S and other publications / workshops.
Unfortunately, Global Payments falls short of that bar. The content itself isn't bad, but the book feels more like a magazine than a proper industry resource. It's extremely short, which means no topic gets the depth or detail I was hoping for. Payments is a nuanced, complex space, and this book is too light on context to be truly useful for professionals who already understand the basics.
The title promises a lot but Fintech innovations are barely covered, and some major topics, like cross-border payments, are given just a couple of pages. In the end, this feels more like a high-level introduction rather than a serious exploration of global payments.
It's fine for what it is, but given the title and the publisher, it feels like a missed opportunity.
