Fundamental Laws of Human Stupidity

The laws of human stupidity are articulated for the first time with wit and elegance — a phenomenon as powerful and eternal as the forces of nature. Are there fools among Nobel laureates? What distinguishes a fool from a bandit? What damage does a fool inflict on the common good? How many fools are there in the population? How can we recognize and neutralize their “dark power”? Answers to these pressing questions are found in the magnificent work of economic historian Carlo Cipolla. At the same time, “this little book is by no means a product of cynicism or an exercise in defeatism,” as it is full of humor or sarcasm, wholly scientific, and enjoys popularity with readers worldwide. Also included under one cover for the first time in Russian is the essay “Pepper, Wine, and Wool” — a vivid and very compact analysis of how things we perceive as long familiar and ordinary played a truly revolutionary role in the history of medieval Europe.