The Delusions of Crowds

This “disturbing yet fascinating” exploration of mass mania through the ages explains the biological and psychological roots of irrationality ( Kirkus Reviews ). From time immemorial, contagious narratives have spread through susceptible groups—with enormous, often disastrous, consequences. Inspired by Charles Mackay’s nineteenth-century classic Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds , neurologist and author William Bernstein examines mass delusion through the lens