Ignorance, Confidence, and Filthy Rich Friends: The Business Adventures of Mark Twain, Chronic Speculator and Entrepreneur

By Peter Krass

Book Overview

While the entire world knows Mark Twain as the renowned author of many classic American novels, few people are aware that he was also a highly successful businessman. In fact, more than half of his life was consumed by moneymaking pursuits, which often resulted in writing projects being neglected--but at the same time, these adventures were the inspiration behind many of the characters found in his books. In Ignorance, Confidence, and Filthy Rich Friends, Peter Krass captures a little-known side of this American icon and details the roller coaster ride of his business ventures in a dramatic, entertaining, and informative narrative style. From Twain's time as the founder of his own publishing house--where he made a small fortune publishing General Ulysses S. Grant's memoirs--to his foray into venture capitalism and investment in numerous start-up firms, to his focus on his own inventions, this engaging book reveals the Mark Twain that few of us know: the no-nonsense, successful American businessman.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0471933376
• ISBN13: 9780471933373
• Release Date: March 2007
• Publisher: Wiley
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.92 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.8" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

A fascinating report on Mark Twain's quest for wealth

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, alias Mark Twain, was a true American original. Born into humble circumstances, he spent his life on a fevered quest to gain wealth. He was enormously successful in this endeavor. Of course, the world remembers Clemens not for his riches, but rather for his rich imagination, his superb wit and his splendid writing under the name Mark Twain, author of numerous classics including The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. In this offbeat, iconoclastic portrait of Clemens, author Peter Krass examines his early life as a bold adventurer and his later years as an investor, speculator, venture capitalist, businessman and inventor. If you love Mark Twain, iconic writer and storyteller, getAbstract is convinced that you'll enjoy reading this distinctive book about a fascinating - but seldom reported - side of his colorful life.

Informative, but with failed wit

The author, Peter Krass, does a comendable job in portraying the history of Clemens's (Twain's) business folies for the most part, but he confoundedly tries to include cliched bits of wit on the tail end of many of the historical vingnettes. All in all this failed wit can be ingnored and it is an overall fun and informative read. (3.5 stars)

Pursuit of Wealth

Who knew Twain pursued wealth with the zest of a robber baron. This book is highly entertaining and instructive as there is much business insight and Twain's adventures are notable. While not a full biography, I enjoyed the excerpts from Twain's writing - you get a good sense of him. The pace of the book is good. Business people and those interested in Twain will enjoy it.