Extraordinary Popular Delusions of Our Times is a modern sequel to Charles Mackay's 1841 literary classic "Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds."

Mackay wrote about the tulip bulb mania and the poor sailor who mistook a priceless bulb for an onion and ate it for breakfast. He wrote about alchemy, which was practiced with all seriousness by great thinkers of the time like Thomas Aquinas and Roger Bacon. He wrote about the Crusaders who raped and pillaged their way to Jerusalem in order to save their souls. He wrote about witch burning, a popular delusion that at its peak killed more than five hundred women annually in England alone.

It is startling how relevant and relatable this history remains nearly two centuries later. Seventeenth-century tulip bulb markets bear a striking resemblance to today's cryptocurrency exchanges. Magnetizers and hypnotists still ply the back alleys of alternative medicine as they did two hundred years ago, but now they are accompanied by homeopaths, acupuncturists, and energy healers. Even in modern times, people still die from religious delusions like suicide bombing, Jonestown, and the Kenya Starvation Cult.

This work includes volumes on Health Delusions, Financial Delusions, and Political, Cultural, and Religious Delusions.

Reading Mackay's original work is not a prerequisite, and chapters may be read in any order. So pick your favorite delusion and enjoy!

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• Religion & SpiritualityAgnosticism

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