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Classic swindles, wild schemes, and incredible scams on a grand scale: this 19th century landmark study of crowd psychology and mass mania provides an entertaining account of human folly through the ages. It happens in every period and every nation, from the Tulipomania that practically consumed the Dutch imagination in the 17th century to the Mississippi Scheme that swept France in 1720 and the South Sea Bubble that ruined thousands in England during the same decade. There's also a look at fads and delusions that sprung from beliefs and causes that still have supporters today: the prophecies of Nostradamus, the coming of comets and Judgment Day, the Rosicrucians, and astrology. Some of the people and movements surveyed here remain highly controversial, from the Crusades to sorcery and witchcraft. Compelling and thought-provoking.