While I found the research behind this book interesting, and incredibly well done, the presentation left something to be desired. It was a very dry read, filled with numbers. I kept hoping for something to jazz up the prose, but it continued plodding along without giving much excitement for the reader. This is sad since I have read Corbin's other book [b:The Village of Cannibals: Rage and Murder in France, 1870|1261520|The Village of Cannibals Rage and Murder in France, 1870|Alain Corbin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348956810s/1261520.jpg|1250365], and it is full of intriguing information that prompts questions as you read. This book, however, just made me question "When will it end?"