Charles Mackay's Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds: A 52 brilliant ideas interpretation [Paperback]

Tim Phillips (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 31, 2009 | Series: 52 Brilliant Ideas

First published in 1841, Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds is often cited as the best book ever written about market psychology. Author Charles Mackay chronicles many celebrated financial manias, or 'bubbles', which demonstrate his assertion that "every age has its peculiar folly; some scheme, project, or fantasy into which it plunges, spurred on by the love of gain, the necessity of excitement, or the mere force of imitation." This still holds fast today! Among the alleged 'bubbles' described by Mackay is the infamous Dutch tulip mania, the South Sea Company bubble and the Mississippi Company bubble. And what do bubbles do? Why they burst of course. Tim Phillips's interpretation of Mackay's work is not a substitute for the original; its purpose is simply to illustrate the timeless nature of these inspirational insights by bringing them to life through modern business and political case studies. This brilliant interpretation of Extraordinary Popular Delusions... is an entertaining accompaniment to one of the most famous books ever written.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Tim Phillips has been a freelance journalist since 1990, writing about business, technology, social change and innovation. He has written for the Wall Street Journal Europe, the International Herald Tribune, The Times, the Sunday Times, the Observer, the Independent and the Daily Express among others. For two years he was a technology and Internet columnist for the Guardian. Tim is also the author of Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince and Beat the odds: Winning ideas for smart gamblers (9781904902669) and Scoring Points: How Tesco is Winning Customer Loyalty (9780749447526).

Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: Infinite Ideas (January 31, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1905940912
• ISBN-13: 978-1905940912
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #138,462 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I've been writing professionally as both a journalist and an author for more than 20 years, and in that time I've been able to interview and meet hundreds of interesting and insightful people (and quite a few dull ones as well, but I edit them out). So my books tend to be about what other people say and do rather than the contents of my own head. I thought you'd prefer to hear about them than hear about me.

I may be wrong. If I am, tell me. I like other opinions.

If you want a free taste of what I do (and what I think about what other people do), check out my blog Talk Normal: http://talknormal.co.uk

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not the Original Book, a Modern Interpretation, December 1, 2011

By 

Aaman Lamba "Books, Art and Life" (Richmond, VA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Charles Mackay's Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds (52 Brilliant Ideas) (Kindle Edition)

As others in this series, this is not the original book, but a modern interpretation. 'Nuff said. It would be best to follow this up, or preface it, with a reading of the original work.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This is NOT the book, it's a commentary or response to the book, December 21, 2011

By 

M. Welch (Pleasanton, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Charles Mackay's Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds (52 Brilliant Ideas) (Kindle Edition)

I downloaded this book, expecting that it was the actual book identified in the title. I was baffled, when I started to read it, to see that it wasn't the book I expected. It's not the original 160-year old book written by Charles MacKay; instead, it's a commentary or response written by Tim Phillips.

I suspect that thousands of other people will be tricked into downloading Phillips' work, believing that it's the real thing, and will be annoyed as I was.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good simple intro, January 11, 2012

By 

DebbyG - See all my reviews

This review is from: Charles Mackay's Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds (52 Brilliant Ideas) (Kindle Edition)

I really liked this book and the others in the series.Sure you should read the original, but this book does clearly state that it is a modern day interpretation. So a great intro written in an appealing style!