{"product_id":"noble-madness-1","title":"Noble Madness","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A magisterial rethinking of why we collect. I loved this book' Edmund de Waal\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Magnificent . . . so compulsive and entertaining' Stephen Fry\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Give it to the collector in your life, and watch sparks fly!' Cathy Gere\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A delight to read and ponder' Jackson Lears\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A tour de force of scholarship and storytelling' Daniel Weiss\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA captivating history of obsessive collectors: from ancient looters and idolaters to fin de siècle decadents, Freudian psychos, and hoarders.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCollectors are often praised for their taste in art or contributions to science, but there can be a darker side: their passion is sometimes driven by dangerous obsession. Roman emperors who lusted after statues; Chinese scholars obsessed with rocks and flowers; fin de siècle dandies surrounded by bibelots. History is full of stories about those who love things more than people, presenting a danger either to themselves or others. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this sweeping history from antiquity to today, James Delbourgo tells the extraordinary story of the mad collector as a cultural figure from the tyrant and idolater to the sexually repressed \"psycho\" of the Freudian imagination and the modern-day hoarder. His conclusion is surprising: Because they are driven by passion rather than profit, obsessive collectors also have been cultural heroes, seen as authentic and true to themselves. \u003cb\u003eSome may be mad, but theirs is a noble madness.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Quercus Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56708536631640,"sku":"9781529424034","price":19.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0278\/1295\/4195\/files\/9781529424034_aeb214d7-b550-4600-b6f3-74271eef4068.jpg?v=1780442122","url":"https:\/\/agendabookshop.com\/products\/noble-madness-1","provider":"Agenda Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}