

The word "bubble" (in the economic sense) was created in 1720 - keenerd
http://books.google.com/books?id=JVwcP0fXmC4C&lpg=PP1&dq=extraordinary%20popular%20delusions%20and%20the%20madness%20of%20crowds&pg=PA64#v=onepage&q&f=false

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keenerd
If you want to read the full text of this source, it is on Project Gutenberg
(<http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/24518>). (Books link just because I could
not get that specific page otherwise, sorry.)

I just finished reading this book. It is still very readable and relevant
today despite being written in 1840. We still have bubbles and crashes from
speculation, we still have quacks and charlatans. About the only section that
did not have a modern parallel was the alchemy chapter, thank goodness.

My favorite part was how the courts got out of dealing with people trying to
claim losses after the crash. I won't spoil it here though, you'll just have
to read it yourself.

