About Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds
What it's about
A Victorian history of the times whole nations lost their heads over money. Charles Mackay tells how the Dutch paid fortunes for tulip bulbs, how London bought shares in 'a company for carrying on an undertaking of great advantage, but nobody to know what it is', and how John Law's paper money made, then ruined, all of Paris.
Who it's for
Anyone who has watched a coin, a stock or a housing market go wild, and readers who like true stories that sound too strange to be true.
- Level
- CEFR B2
- Length
- 3 parts · about 735 words
- Reading time
- about 6 minutes (~2 min per part)
- Author
- Charles Mackay
If you liked this, read
- Reminiscences of a Stock Operator · B2
- The Economic Consequences of the Peace · B2
- The Theory of the Leisure Class · B2
Looking for something easier or harder? See Easy English books by level (A1–B2).
Reading Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds in English: quick answers
- What English level is Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds on SeoJae Story?
- Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds by Charles Mackay is retold in simplified English at CEFR B2 (upper-intermediate). It is split into 3 short parts, and every sentence has a Korean translation you can show or hide, so a learner at that level can follow the story without a dictionary.
- Is Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds hard to read in English?
- The original is written for native readers, with long sentences and older vocabulary, so most learners find it hard. This retelling keeps the story but uses simpler English at CEFR B2 (upper-intermediate), so if you read English at that level you can follow it, and the Korean translation is there for any line that stops you. If it feels too hard, start with an easier book one level down.
- How long does it take to read Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds in simple English?
- About 6 minutes of reading in total — roughly 2 minutes per part across 3 parts. Listening to the audio narration, reviewing the vocabulary and taking each part's comprehension check adds a little more.
- Is this the full, unabridged text of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds?
- No. It is an abridged graded retelling written for English learners that follows the story of the original in 3 parts. Every part also lets you read the matching unabridged chapters from the original, split into short readings.
- Is Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds free to read here?
- Yes. All 3 parts are free to read online, with the Korean translation, audio narration, vocabulary flashcards and comprehension questions included.
- Is Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds in the public domain?
- Yes. Charles Mackay's Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds is in the public domain, and the original text is freely available from Project Gutenberg (eBook #24518). SeoJae Story's simplified retelling and Korean translation are original text written for learners.