Rating: 
Summary: Folly on parade
Review: Mackay's catalogue of the human comedy,aside from the 1840 language,reads like any litany of contemporary idiocy.The book is long and sometimes dry,but the human,all too human desire to see our fellow mortals in their ignorance compels you to read on to the end.The obvious conclusion to be drawn from this book(or any book of history)is that the irrational is an unvanquishable aspect of the human psyche.Most of humankind can be likened to a windsock-led wily-nily by the latest fad,hype,consensus and collective madness whose outbreak is as inevitable as the turning of the globe.I wonder what Mackay would think of our mass media and pop culture,which lend themselves to massive hysteria,distortions and misinformation on an instantaneous and massive scale.The book is both funny and poignant.It makes you want to pity the human race for its inherent silliness.As many wise men have pointed out,humankind doesn't really change.The name of the fools who play the jester change;the fads,fashions and mass hallucinations change;the wallpaper and trinkets of life change,but the farce pretty much continues as before.If I didn't know any better I'd have to say the future holds much the same.
Rating: 
Summary: Social history of crowd mentality, not only about stocks
Review: Most people know this book is a classic -- but it's unfortunate that it's thought of as a book about investments, when investments are really only a small part of the phenomena Mackay covers. We have all heard about Dutch tulips a million times over -- it is therefore much more interesting to read Mackay's chapters about popular slang expressions, or about superstitions, or about quack medicine. There are great micro-histories here about the comings and goings of fads, both those contemporary to Mackay and those that preceded him.While Mackay's points about the irrationality of crowds are useful for the investor, these "lessons" about Dutch tulips and other financial manias are cliches today. You need not read this book to find out about them. This book's true value lies in its comprehensive history and analyses of other fads, hoaxes, and "manias," most of which have, fittingly enough, been forgotten today.
Rating: 
Summary: Great subject matter
Review: Poorly written but the subject matter is fascinating. A must for students of the markets. Has parallels from antiquity to the modern era. Loads of research which adds to the rather dry text. Helps if you read French as the author throws in quotes without bothering to translate.
Rating:
Summary: The free ebook versions are great too
Review: Project gutenberg's free ebook versions are wonderful too.
Rating:
Summary: People never change
Review: Remember when you were in 8th grade and a cool saying was making its way around? Knowing the saying made you feel cool. How cool do you feel when you hear that in 18th century London, for four months the word "Coz!" would reduce bystanders to giggling lumps of jello? Why? "Coz!"
Feeling good about the stock market? Can't suffer more than a 20% correction, right? Because all the experts say so. You'll feel so much "better" after learning of the 17th century "tulip" market.
This book teaches you, in hilariously engaging fashion, with a voice speaking across the centuries, that fads are part of the human condition, not a 20th century phenomenon. Read it and learn.
Rating:
Summary: Great Classic! And It's over 160 Years Old!
Review: Some fine reviews here, but my main point is how relevent this amazing book is even after 16-plus years! It's so well-written and current (up to the 1840's anyway), you could almost think it was written today! The tulip hysteria in 1640's Holland is so famous some recent novels have been written about it! But the 2 best parts are the Crusades, and the Witchhunting sections, both religious-based mass hysteria. In the author's introduction ,he states that religious hysteria and delusions are so numerous he can barely scratch the surface! And think what's happened since 1842! The book is a bit dense at times, but you'll be amazed at the mass delusions described, sometimes resulting in mass slaughter, notably in the "Crusades" chapter. But this book should be familiar to every educated person, and will always be a classic!
Rating:
Summary: quite humurous
Review: Some potential readers of this volume may be put off by its size. However, you can rest assured that you will have no problem with boredeom. An inspiring tale of the gullibility of humans throughout the ages. This is a book you can read and re-read for many laughs.
Rating:
Summary: No progress in people's gullibility
Review: The author tracks historical mass-mistakes with such clarity that it is easy to see the parallels with the world of today. As has been noted in other reviews, the current stock market overinflation and collectibles craze are clearly paralleled by previous events. A parallel which I haven't seen in other reviews here is the current 'alien invasion/x-files' obsession with the long running belief in alchemy. The same figures play roles.. the naive believer and the swindling fraud, most prominently. Our current astrology revival is only the latest wave of belief in this ancient 'art' and homeopathy has much in common with 'animal magnetism.' I think that every young person, every person should read it to gain an appreciation of the tools we have to sort out the sense from the nonsense as well as a historical perspective on how much human nature has not changed in its eagerness to believe in the face of reason.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting, but not compelling reading...
Review: The book contains numerous interesting anecdotes. If you are interested in Social History and Psychology, there is plenty to mull over. However, it is too long-winded and laborious to read.
Rating:
Summary: A Fascinating Book
Review: The most fascinating thing about this book is how little things change. The South Sea Bubble episode which happened almost three hundred years ago is eerily similar to the whole internet stock market scene today. Will we ever learn ? One of the most interesting and thought provoking books I have read recently.
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