Erik Vrij

One Billion and One Dirham

An original and fun gift for anyone in finance: the world’s famous fairy tales… turned into a financial setting.

This collection of some 25 short fairy tales is mostly based on the narrative of the world’s famous fairy tales: Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Sinbad the Sailor, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Hansel and Gretel, Baron Münchhausen and many more.

FAIRY TALES COVERED

  1. Al Alim Bank and the Magic App

  2. Black Monday and the Seven Crises

  3. The News Channel That Provided All Inside Information

  4. Sin-Bad the Bond Salesman

  5. Gullible’s Investments

  6. Little Red Account Balance (and the Big Bad Wolf of Wall Street)

  7. The Borrowers That Always Repaid Their Loans

  8. Mario and Christine

  9. Cinderasset

  10. The Merger That Offered True Synergies

  11. Reponzel

  12. The Insurance Policy That Always Paid Out

  13. Gordon Gekko and the Forty Tulip Investors

  14. The Banker’s New Repayment Structure

  15. The Hedge That Covered Every Risk

  16. Baron von Büllmarkt’s Incredible Investments

  17. The Curing Touch of Midas Bank

  18. Beauty and the Banker

  19. The Decent Stock Broker

  20. The CEO and the Clerk

  21. King Cash and the Magic Flying Banknote

  22. Alistair in Euroland

  23. The Country That Levied No Tax

Look into the book and read a few fairy tales here.

Printed in exquisite top quality hard cover with gold and silver foil on linen, covered by an embossed dust jacket.

Title and cover calligraphy art by Wissam Shawkat, ‘The (Gulf) Region’s most celebrated calligraphy artist’ – VOGUE ARABIA.

Foreword by Ian Morley, Founder/Chairman of the Alternative Investment Management Association.

The book has been a number 1 crowdfunding project on Kickstarter.com, the world’s largest crowdfunding platform. A full presentation with photos, videos and the story behind the publication as well as all most extensive updates on the project after its publication – including my book presentation – can be found on the campaign site: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/erikvrij/one-billion-and-one-dirham-financial-fairy-tales

You will find updates and news on the below Facebook and LinkedIn sites.

Erik Vrij | LinkedIn

Financial Fairytales | Facebook

 


Teasers

Find out...

…which financial wishes the magic Khalila app fulfils when she appears after Khalid swipes his phone screen.

Find out...

…how Sin-Bad the Bond Salesman sails the Sea of Ponzi and visits Short-sellers Island to become a star investment banker.

Find out...

…why Mario and Christine are eating the European Central Bank – made of monetary easing – to fight inflation.

Find out...

…what Black Monday sees when she looks into the mirror on Wall Street.

Find out...

…if Little Red Account Balance survives the Big Bad Wolf of Wall Street.

Find out...

…how King Cash flies his magic flying Banknote.

Find out...

…if Beauty finds her Banker.

Find out...

…how Alistair in Euroland deals with the 27 headed creature called Ecofin.

Find out...

…how Baron von Büllmarkt pulls himself out of a giant self inflicted crisis.

Reviews

“Brilliant concept, love it!”

Partner, Financial services, Global law firm

“I strongly recommend to read the book … gives you a good business case insight and a lot of cases have been conveyed in a nice tale.”

Punit Thakker

Founder & CEO, Finvault.com (Dubai)  

“Excellent book and good to have during lockdown and spare time.”

Subramanian R.

Vice-President, Collections, Natwest Markets (Delhi)

“Fantastic book, full of humour, wit and financial insights. A really fun read on a rainy day. Nice piece of writing!”

Andrey Yukhanaev

Managing partner, Trigon Group (Amsterdam)

“Fantastic book, full of humour, wit and financial insights. A really fun read on a rainy day. Nice piece of writing!”

Andrey Yukhanaev

Managing partner, Trigon Group (Amsterdam)

“One Billion and one Dirhams is an engaging and fun read. Erik managed incorporating financial terminology in a fun and humorous manner that enables it to have the unique status of being eligible for a personal, career, family or children’s library where it can inspire one’s imagination while explaining financial concepts to the common reader in an engaging manner.”

Amer Al Shehhi

Assistant Vice-President Compliance Advisory, First Abu Dhabi Bank

“Great collection of short stories which bring back childhood memories but with an added twist of it being within a financial setting. A charming book which was a delight to read!”

Milesh Parmar

Head of Tax Reporting, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank 

“I do not judge books by their covers but this one certainly makes a stunning first impression.” “…I find this book entertaining, quick-witted and educational. It’s just brilliant! …”

“What I enjoy about this book is definitely the game of words and hidden magic that allowed to connect the specificity of the relevant banking & finance issues and their jargon together with the “reality” of fairy tales, with no compromise in terms of adequacy of both matters.”

“A few fairy tales are hilarious just because they exhibit an exceptionally unreal world.”

Konrad Dobrowolski

Legal counsel, Bank Pekao (Poland) 

‘I’m enjoying your book. I’m impressed; it’s witty, fun and well founded. Thank you.

UAE Central Banker

“An imaginative, poignant and very clever marriage between traditional and modern day (financial markets) fairy tales. Erik’s pen is mightier than his sword.”

Simon Ballard

Chief Economist, First Abu Dhabi Bank

“This book is a great read. Light on one side, and requiring a degree of finance acumen on the other. The jokes are smartly woven into the fairy tale setting, and the creativity flows well. Not to mention the book design, which is phenomenal. Well done Erik! Anyone working in the UAE finance sector will surely appreciate this book. Will be recommending it to colleagues, friends, and family, and I am looking forward to your next book The Last King’s Day!”

Ivo Ravenhorst 

Financial Controller, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority

Financial literary prose for City Slickers. Hilarious and very well written. Enjoy the fairy tales like Crème Brûlée: one at a time.

Jort Kelder, Journalist / TV Producer

Erik Vrij has spent a career that spans both finance and fiction. He has the knowledge and imagination to bring these two strange worlds together in a way that is both instructive and fun to read. Anyone reading his stories and thinks they are made up by the power of imagination will be surprised to know that they are well founded in reality and made accessible and enjoyable in the hands of a master story teller.

Ian Morley, Chairman, Wentworth Hall, Founder Chairman, Alternative Investment Management Association