Profiles in Folly - History's Worst Decisions and Why They Went Wrong

Alan Axelrod's study of the dark side of audacious decision-making, exploring history's most tragic errors. While Axelrod looks at the hopelessly dumb and the overtly evil, the main focus is on smart people who had the best of intentions - but whose plans went disastrously wrong. The 35 compelling, often poignant stories include: the sailing of the Titanic; Edward Bernays's 1929 campaign to recruit women smokers; Neville Chamberlain's appeasement of the Nazis; Ken Lay's deception with Enron; and even the choice to create a New Coke. These are cautionary tales - albeit with exquisite twists ranging from acerbic to horrific...