| Author |
Mackay, Charles, 1814-1889 |
| Title |
Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions — Volume 1
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| Credits |
Produced by An Anonymous Volunteer and David Widger
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| Summary |
"Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions — Volume 1" by Charles Mackay is a historical account written in the early 19th century. The book explores the fascinating and often irrational behaviors exhibited by societies throughout history, particularly focusing on collective delusions that have driven entire nations to the brink of folly, such as financial schemes and panics. The opening portion introduces the theme of societal madness and delusion, particularly around financial schemes, as illustrated through the life of John Law and his notorious Mississippi Scheme. Law’s rise and fall are pivotal, showcasing how he captured the nation's imagination and trust with ambitious financial propositions, only to lead it into chaos as irrational exuberance took hold. Mackay vividly paints Law’s transition from a celebrated financier to a scapegoat for the misfortunes that befell France, depicting a society blinded by greed and speculation, ultimately grappling with the consequences of its own collective madness. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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| Language |
English |
| LoC Class |
AZ: General Works: History of scholarship and learning, The humanities
|
| Subject |
Social psychology
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| Subject |
Swindlers and swindling
|
| Subject |
Impostors and imposture
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| Subject |
Alchemy
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| Subject |
Delusions
|
| Subject |
Occultism -- Early works to 1900
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| Subject |
Investments -- Psychological aspects
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| Subject |
Stock exchanges -- Psychological aspects
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| Subject |
Hallucinations and illusions
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| Subject |
Common fallacies
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| Category |
Text |
| EBook-No. |
636 |
| Release Date |
Aug 1, 1996 |
| Most Recently Updated |
Feb 5, 2013 |
| Copyright Status |
Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads |
150 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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