Extraordinary Popular Delusions

"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 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 burning and the Great Crusades. Here are the human quirks that created the Mississippi Bubble and Tulipomania--when speculators lost fortunes on a single tulip bulb. Here are the follies and fads that dictated fashion through the ages.