Today, as in the time of the South Sea Bubble, human nature is drawn like a moth to flame by the speculative fads of the marketplace. The excitement of new glamour issues in electronics or medical technology, the general euphoria over a rising market; these lure even many experi…
"Every age has its peculiar folly; some scheme, project, or phantasy into which it plunges, spurred on by the love of gain, the necessity of excitement, or the mere force of imitation," said author Charles Mackay. It was true then in 1841, and it is certainly true now. This info…
"This informative, funny collection of popular delusions, from Alchemy to Mesmerism, has become a classic--a study of mass manias, crowd behavior, and human folly. The book encompasses a broad range of scams, manias, and deceptions including witch burnings and the Great Crusades…
"Every age has its peculiar folly; some scheme, project, or phantasy into which it plunges, spurred on by the love of gain, the necessity of excitement, or the mere force of imitation," said author Charles Mackay. It was true then in 1841, and it is certainly true now. This info…
This selection, first published in 1973, compiles a fascinating study of crowd psychology as it examines the moral epidemics and fits of madness that have bewitched the cities of Europe and their citizens from the dark ages to modern times. Among the selections are tales of thie…