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Ignorance, Confidence, and Filthy Rich Friends
Peter Krass
The Business Adventures of Mark Twain, Chronic Speculator and Entrepreneur
Wiley
March 2007
On Sale: March 5, 2007
278 pages ISBN: 0471933376 EAN: 9780471933373 Hardcover
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Non-Fiction
In addition to being one of America's most renowned and
beloved writers, Mark Twain considered himself a hard-nosed,
visionary businessman. After achieving worldwide literary
success in mid-life, Twain actively pursued his business
interests: he developed his own inventions, was a venture
capitalist who supported other inventors, a Wall Street
investor who made a fortune more than once, and a media
mogul who founded his own publishing firm. Not surprisingly,
he was also a pioneer in salesmanship. Ignorance, Confidence, and Filthy Rich Friends illuminates
this little-known side of an American icon in an engaging
and informative narrative that details a business career
full of adventure, ambition, and insightful instruction.
Author Peter Krass examines all the critical events and
circumstances that shaped Twain's "Robber Baron" perspective
on money and business. He reveals how, while often torn
between being an enlightened man of letters and a
materialistic capitalist, Twain was motivated by a
relentless desire to accumulate great wealth. Krass traces
the source of this sometimes unhealthy compulsion to the
writer's boyhood—when he developed an irrational fear of
poverty after his father's business ventures failed. At times as entertaining and dramatic as one of Twain's own
works, this fascinating book tells how the legendary writer
and humorist made millions in today's dollars publishing the
memoirs of General Ulysses S. Grant. It details his
escapades as a venture capitalist—one who made significant
investments in some twenty start-up firms—and as a Wall
Street investor with a sizable stock portfolio. It also
tells how, often at the expense of his book projects, he
promoted his own inventions, including a children's game he
patented in 1885 and numerous other gadgets for everyday use. Along with these enlightening tales, Krass includes brief
mini-chapters entitled "Quirky Habits & Brazen Philosophy"
between chapters throughout the book. These interludes
further explore the personal habits that aided Twain's
stunning success and feature many memorable witticisms from
the master himself. For those who know and love Mark Twain
only as a writer and humorist, this book will provide a
fascinating and revealing look at his life as a successful
man of business.
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