The existence and application of interest is today perceived - at least in Western-influenced societies - as a given and unquestionable fact. This ubiquitous economic tool is rarely subject to reflection. However, since its first appearance, the moral and ethical aspect of interest has become a controversial focal point of human self-understanding. The history of interest is a history of economics and society as a whole. Daniel Romic narrates it succinctly from economic, philosophical, and doctrinal perspectives. He explains how interest claims are justified, what causes underlie their emergence, and from which theoretical considerations the tradition of interest prohibitions is derived. Here, interest reveals itself as a detailed phenomenon that serves as a reference point for human social behavior.