Beliefs held by US and European elites about unregulated markets and a currency union without fiscal union led to a transatlantic crisis unmatched in severity since the Great Depression. Leading scholars of elites analyze how elites have responded to the crisis, are altered by it and what this 'hour of elites' means for democracy.

In order to attract readers, it was not uncommon for magical texts of the 16th century to take on the name of a notable figure. Such is the case with "The Book of Secrets of Albertus Magnus", whose secrets are, in fact, a compilation from a number of different sources by an anonymous author who was, according to editors Best and Brightman, probably one of Albertus Magnus' followers. Though it "...pretends to be a product of his experimental school among the Dominicans at Cologne", for the most part it has a more colloquial voice than that of Albertus Magnus and so provides a far more accurate portrayal of the magical culture that predominated in the 16th century. The secrets contained are divided into five distinct parts: Of the Virtues of Herbs, Of the Virtues of Stones, Of the Virtues of Beasts, Of the Planets, and The Marvels of the World.

Beliefs held by US and European elites about unregulated markets and a currency union without fiscal union led to a transatlantic crisis unmatched in severity since the Great Depression. Leading scholars of elites analyze how elites have responded to the crisis, are altered by it and what this 'hour of elites' means for democracy.