Cultural

When renowned French sociologist GUSTAVE LE BON (1841-1931), who pioneered the field of mass psychology, took a fresh, scientific look at the subject of revolution-and in particular, the French Revolution-he stripped away legend and illusion to find the core reality. In this profound and insightful work, a replica of the 1913 edition, he explores the mob mentality of revolutionaries-religious, scientific, and political-examines the motives of their leaders, and discusses how new forms of democratic belief and practice arise from popular movements. Students of history and the human mind alike will find it a fascinating read. ALSO FROM COSIMO: Le Bon's The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind