My book review for today is:

Tulipomania: The Story of the World’s Most Coveted Flower and the Extraordinary Passions It Aroused written by British journalist Mike Dash.

I actually enjoyed this book more then I thought. The reader gets a bit of history and more about the tulip.  I especially enjoyed learning about how the tulip bulb traveled from central Asia and made it’s way to Holland.

Tulip mania peaked in February 1637.  It was a time when the Dutch did not like to live beyond their means. But at the same time, seeing how much money one can make dealing with bulbs was very tempting.  The tulip was considered a luxury item and status symbol for some people.

And what I found humorous was how people reacted when the tulip market crashed.  It’s so strange how people can come to love something so much but then hate it so.  I know people were losing money and homes, possibly their mind too.  But you can’t win them all.  Especially if you were dealing in a speculative market. 

Mike Dash mentions in the book that the Amsterdam Stock Exchange did not bother trading in bulbs. I guess they knew better. And the speculation in tulip bulbs always existed at the margins of Dutch economic life.

Mike Dash’s book was well written and also entertaining. I could barely put it down. Then again, I enjoy reading these type of books. But I highly recommend this book for those that enjoy a bit of history and story telling.

Purple tulips have become one of my favorite. Photo from Tulipworld.

You can pick up a copy of this book at your local library or purchase one at your local bookstore. Or get a used copy starting at $1 here.

Image source:  Semper Augustus, with it’s dash of bright red on white was the most coveted of all tulips.