Table of Contents

Introduction; Pascal and the gambler: theory of speculative advantage; Fear and risk: without a Net; Action and reaction: the psychology of bubbles; Tulipomania: bubbles, mysteries and cycles; The South Sea bubble: from the Mississippi bubble to the high seas; Bubbles in the near past; Electronic bubbles: dotcoms and telecoms; The role of institutions and the response to malfeasance; Rhythms and interventions: studying the ebbs and flows of bubbles; Reflections and recriminations: the end of all bubbles?; Bibliography; Index.