Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds, Volume 1


Lu par LibriVox Volunteers

(4.6 stars; 34 reviews)

The book chronicles and vilifies its targets in three parts: "National Delusions", "Peculiar Follies", and "Philosophical Delusions".

The subjects of Mackay's debunking include alchemy, beards (influence of politics and religion on), witch-hunts, crusades and duels. Present day writers on economics, such as Andrew Tobias, laud the three chapters on economic bubbles. (summary from Wikipedia)

Link to Volume 2 (14 hr 18 min)

Chapitres

Preface 4:14 Lu par J. M. Smallheer
The Mississippi Scheme, Part 1 31:11 Lu par ink tree
The Mississippi Scheme, Part 2 31:48 Lu par MorganScorpion
The Mississippi Scheme, Part 3 39:20 Lu par MorganScorpion
The South-Sea Bubble, Part 1 46:39 Lu par hefyd
The South-Sea Bubble, Part 2 31:50 Lu par hefyd
The South-Sea Bubble, Part 3 31:39 Lu par hefyd
The Tulipomania 21:11 Lu par David Higham
The Alchymists, Part 1 29:38 Lu par J. M. Smallheer
The Alchymists, Part 2 23:38 Lu par J. M. Smallheer
The Alchymists, Part 3 30:03 Lu par MorganScorpion
The Alchymists, Part 4 33:52 Lu par David Higham
The Alchymists, Part 5 38:49 Lu par Daniele
The Alchymists, Part 6 17:20 Lu par Janna
The Alchymists, Part 7 31:01 Lu par MorganScorpion
The Alchymists, Part 8 12:35 Lu par Janna
The Alchymists, Part 9 28:47 Lu par J. M. Smallheer
The Alchymists, Part 10 40:12 Lu par Scotty
The Alchymists, Part 11 38:01 Lu par Scotty
The Alchymists, Part 12 21:38 Lu par Scotty
The Alchymists, Part 13 40:23 Lu par MorganScorpion
Modern Prophecies, Part 1 29:23 Lu par Anna Simon
Modern Prophecies, Part 2 23:19 Lu par Anna Simon
Fortune-Telling, Part 1 30:11 Lu par Anne Cheng
Fortune-Telling, Part 2 23:14 Lu par Anne Cheng
The Magnetisers, Part 1 37:33 Lu par Maire Rhode
The Magnetisers, Part 2 37:00 Lu par Andrew Coleman
The Magnetisers, Part 3 33:55 Lu par MorganScorpion
Influence of Politics and Religion on the Hair and Beard 20:20 Lu par Laura Caldwell

Critiques

Please make Volume 2!


(5 stars)

Great treatment of this classic work which is significant now during a terrible period of worldwide disinformation, sentiment manipulation by Russians and the whole hearted consumption by falsehood believing masses.

An excellent book about conmen taking whole cities, or even countries, on the l…


(5 stars)

THe book's title sounds a bit academic, but its about grand capers and conmen. It's like Enron and the Wall Street bailout, with some of the high-class grifters who used ot pretend to turn lead into gold. I'm really glad to have listened to this book. It's well read, and fascinating.

Classic work marred by poorly prepared reading


(3.5 stars)

J.M. Smallheer, for example, in addition to having inconsistent enunciation, seems ignorant of obvious things, e.g., that “shew” is an old spelling of “show”; she pronounces it “shoe”! She also doesn’t know, and hasn’t bothered to learn, the correct pronunciation of Latin or French words, phrases or names, or the names of Europeans mentioned, or Arabic or Hebrew words or names.

the history of unscientific thinking


(4.5 stars)

or of the con game. I found it very interesting. all readers did a good job, Thank you! I'm going to read the recently released AN INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE after finish vol. 2. it looks like it will make a good pairing.