People were borrowing, mortgaging their homes in many cases to obtain those bits of paper, because they were sure they found an easy way to make money.

Not since the winter of 1636 — in the midst of tulip mania in Holland, where for a time bulbs traded for the price of houses — has the price of a perishable product escalated so dramatically.

The best bridge between the hope and despair is a good night's sleep.