Charles Mackay on why crowds believe — manias, bubbles, the witch mania, alchemists, fortune-tellers and haunted houses. A classic of scepticism.

SUBJECTSDelusionsScepticismWitch ManiaHaunted Houses

CONTENTS · 86

  1. 1PREFACE3 MIN
  2. 2THE MISSISSIPPI SCHEME — part 111 MIN
  3. 3THE MISSISSIPPI SCHEME — part 212 MIN
  4. 4THE MISSISSIPPI SCHEME — part 312 MIN
  5. 5THE MISSISSIPPI SCHEME — part 411 MIN
  6. 6THE MISSISSIPPI SCHEME — part 511 MIN
  7. 7THE MISSISSIPPI SCHEME — part 68 MIN
  8. 8THE SOUTH-SEA BUBBLE — part 112 MIN
  9. 9THE SOUTH-SEA BUBBLE — part 211 MIN
  10. 10THE SOUTH-SEA BUBBLE — part 311 MIN
  11. 11THE SOUTH-SEA BUBBLE — part 411 MIN
  12. 12THE SOUTH-SEA BUBBLE — part 512 MIN
  13. 13THE TULIPOMANIA12 MIN
  14. 14THE ALCHYMISTS — part 113 MIN
  15. 15THE ALCHYMISTS — part 212 MIN
  16. 16THE ALCHYMISTS — part 314 MIN
  17. 17THE ALCHYMISTS — part 411 MIN
  18. 18THE ALCHYMISTS — part 512 MIN
  19. 19THE ALCHYMISTS — part 612 MIN
  20. 20THE ALCHYMISTS — part 713 MIN
  21. 21THE ALCHYMISTS — part 812 MIN
  22. 22THE ALCHYMISTS — part 912 MIN
  23. 23THE ALCHYMISTS — part 1012 MIN
  24. 24THE ALCHYMISTS — part 1113 MIN
  25. 25THE ALCHYMISTS — part 1211 MIN
  26. 26THE ALCHYMISTS — part 1312 MIN
  27. 27THE ALCHYMISTS — part 1412 MIN
  28. 28THE ALCHYMISTS — part 1513 MIN
  29. 29THE ALCHYMISTS — part 1611 MIN
  30. 30THE ALCHYMISTS — part 1712 MIN
  31. 31THE ALCHYMISTS — part 1812 MIN
  32. 32THE ALCHYMISTS — part 1911 MIN
  33. 33MODERN PROPHECIES34 MIN
  34. 34FORTUNE-TELLING32 MIN
  35. 35THE MAGNETISERS — part 111 MIN
  36. 36THE MAGNETISERS — part 212 MIN
  37. 37THE MAGNETISERS — part 312 MIN
  38. 38THE MAGNETISERS — part 411 MIN
  39. 39THE MAGNETISERS — part 513 MIN
  40. 40INFLUENCE OF POLITICS AND RELIGION ON THE HAIR AND BEARD11 MIN
  41. 41THE CRUSADES — part 112 MIN
  42. 42THE CRUSADES — part 213 MIN
  43. 43THE CRUSADES — part 312 MIN
  44. 44THE CRUSADES — part 412 MIN
  45. 45THE CRUSADES — part 512 MIN
  46. 46THE CRUSADES — part 611 MIN
  47. 47THE CRUSADES — part 711 MIN
  48. 48THE CRUSADES — part 812 MIN
  49. 49THE CRUSADES — part 912 MIN
  50. 50THE CRUSADES — part 1012 MIN
  51. 51THE CRUSADES — part 1112 MIN
  52. 52THE CRUSADES — part 1212 MIN
  53. 53THE CRUSADES — part 1312 MIN
  54. 54THE WITCH MANIA — part 111 MIN
  55. 55THE WITCH MANIA — part 212 MIN
  56. 56THE WITCH MANIA — part 312 MIN
  57. 57THE WITCH MANIA — part 412 MIN
  58. 58THE WITCH MANIA — part 514 MIN
  59. 59THE WITCH MANIA — part 612 MIN
  60. 60THE WITCH MANIA — part 711 MIN
  61. 61THE WITCH MANIA — part 811 MIN
  62. 62THE WITCH MANIA — part 912 MIN
  63. 63THE WITCH MANIA — part 1012 MIN
  64. 64THE WITCH MANIA — part 1112 MIN
  65. 65THE WITCH MANIA — part 1211 MIN
  66. 66THE WITCH MANIA — part 134 MIN
  67. 67THE SLOW POISONERS — part 111 MIN
  68. 68THE SLOW POISONERS — part 212 MIN
  69. 69THE SLOW POISONERS — part 312 MIN
  70. 70THE SLOW POISONERS — part 45 MIN
  71. 71HAUNTED HOUSES — part 112 MIN
  72. 72HAUNTED HOUSES — part 211 MIN
  73. 73HAUNTED HOUSES — part 314 MIN
  74. 74POPULAR FOLLIES OF GREAT CITIES17 MIN
  75. 75POPULAR ADMIRATION OF GREAT THIEVES21 MIN
  76. 76DUELS AND ORDEALS — part 112 MIN
  77. 77DUELS AND ORDEALS — part 214 MIN
  78. 78DUELS AND ORDEALS — part 312 MIN
  79. 79DUELS AND ORDEALS — part 412 MIN
  80. 80DUELS AND ORDEALS — part 512 MIN
  81. 81DUELS AND ORDEALS — part 69 MIN
  82. 82RELICS — part 111 MIN
  83. 83RELICS — part 211 MIN
  84. 84RELICS — part 311 MIN
  85. 85RELICS — part 411 MIN
  86. 86RELICS — part 55 MIN

THE TEXT

Text of the Project Gutenberg edition (Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds). Taken from Project Gutenberg (eBook #24518). Public domain in the United States; no rights are claimed over the text.