Since the seventeenth century, market finance has become an important part of everyday life: it finances major investments such as railways, aviation... During the 1980s, financial markets literally grew to substantial size based on the consensus that finance carried future growth: the era of the "golden boys" was born. However, the two major financial crises show that the greedy euphoria that leads investors to take more and more risks has a consequence for the people who really have to pay the price of speculation. In this short reference book, Marc Zuchini takes you on a journey through the centuries during the financial madness by tracing the main theses, models and fantasies about this fascinating universe, and tries to reconcile a positive vision of finance with the general public.