Cipolla's most popular work is a collection of two tongue-in-cheek essays on economics, first published in 1988 with the title "Allegro (ma;-) non troppo" ("Happy but not by too much" or, as in music, "Quickly, but not too quick").
The first essay, "The Fundamental Laws of Human Stupidity", explores the controversial subject of stupidity. Stupid people are seen as a group, more powerful by far than major organizations such as the Mafia and the industrial complex, which without regulations, leaders or manifesto nonetheless manages to operate to great effect and with incredible coordination.
Carlo Maria Cipolla (1922-2000) was an Italian economic historian. He was born in Pavia, where he got his academic degree in 1944.
Through his study of economic history, he showed a keen interest in the causes that prompted specific economic and social situations during history, instead of focusing on facts and figures. He was noted as well for his work on overpopulation and his essays on human stupidity.
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