1890. P. T. Barnum was a conspicuous example of success in life, and therefore qualified to write a work of this kind for the guidance of his countrymen. The store of shrewd and kindly observation; the numerous illustrations and anecdotes marked by a dry humor which is itself irresistible; and the personal reminiscences of a man who has mingled with all sorts and conditions of men, unite to add unusual interest. With a view to illustrating the rules laid down by P.T. Barnum, sketches of the lives of successful men are given in the second part of the book. These include a wide variety of the famous and successful - Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, James Garfield, Horace Greeley, Thomas Edison, Daniel Webster, Samuel Morse, John Wanamaker, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Henry Ward Beecher, Jay Gould, Marshall Field, and many more. The third part of the book is a concise history of money, banks, and banking, with such provocative chapter titles as: What Is A Dollar?, Shall We Demonetize Silver?, Can Paper be Made a Perfect Money?, Are Banks Beneficial?, and Investment vs. Speculation. The book is known to have been read and owned by Mark Twain.