Treasure Islands - review

Treasure Islands
by Nicholas Shaxson
(Vintage, £8.99)

Shaxson, a good journalist, writes in detail about something we're all curious about - tax havens.

He discovers that there are lots of them, they've been around for ages, and they play a big role in the global economy.

Naturally, they do - wherever there's money, there's someone trying to keep it for himself. What's the answer - regulation?

Possibly, but rich people get around regulations in a trice, which can make things risky for everyone.

Shaxson delves into capitalism's secret nooks and tells us about how a culture of secrecy can perpetuate itself. Very interesting.