ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses monetary plurality in connection to the goals and is conceived as a theoretical and practical toolkit to explore the risks and potentials of monetary plurality. It looks at increasing the available body of knowledge to understand the tension between monetary plurality and singularity with an aim to gain insight in their implications and presents a collection of current research on theories and practices from several continents. The book proposes three or four forms of integration of economic activities into socioeconomic systems: exchange, redistribution, reciprocity and, depending on the stage of analysis, a fourth one called communal sharing. It argues that episodes of war and social, economic and political demise have been conducive to the creation of complementary currencies. The book presents a game simulation developed in Japan that confirms that complementary currencies change an individual's dispositions and perceptions.
