It's mostly a history of the Medici banking empire, though, and it's interesting to see how the bank declined. The problem was the passing of a generation of bankers who loved the work -- Cosimo Medici said that he'd remain a banker even if he could make money by waving a wand -- and its replacement by those who weren't terribly interested in the actual work, but rather in the opportunity their jobs provided to hang around with kings, queens, and cardinals. Not surprisingly, things went downhill fast once that happened.
I think that's a metaphor for politics and journalism today -- and a cautionary example for the blogosphere.
It's a pretty interesting book, with a juxtaposition of prejudices against sodomy and usury (both seen as "against nature") as a background for the Renaissance.
