Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds

This edition represents an early study of crowd psychology by Scottish journalist Charles Mackay. The book chronicles its subjects in three parts: "National Delusions", "Peculiar Follies", and "Philosophical Delusions". MacKay was an accomplished teller of stories, though he wrote in a journalistic and somewhat sensational style. The subjects of Mackay's debunking include alchemy, crusades, duels,...