A beautiful time not as nice as this

The rise of socialism was one of the greatest fears of the ruling classes or at the time this book was written. Gustave Le Bon has a dark vision of the France of his time. The reforms (even then) are useless, France is an old country declining, dying, whose industry is disappearing to Germany.
Or in fact at the time of industries such as automotive were booming.
He does not spare his criticism against the French educational system accused of giving too bookish education, education 'Latin' which does not form enough character.

Le Bon has a low opinion of the Latin countries, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Latin American countries. For him these countries are decadent and are doomed to slip away before the Anglo-Saxon countries, including the United States who came to crush the Spanish armed in 1896.

Young people also take for their degree, Lucky accused of lack of patriotism, while the youth will demonstrate bright bravery on the battlefield a few years later.
Some passages such as Le Bon or deals with the size of skulls and relationship intelligence are laughable.
But other passages are interesting, particularly that or he deals with the advent of large financial especially in America (Rockefeller).

A book that helps us somewhat judge the mentality of the Belle Epoque. "Hatred and envy in the deeper layers, intense selfishness and excessive worship of wealth in the ruling strata, pessimism among thinkers"