The Wisdom of Mark Twain

In his writing, Mark Twain had a distinctly American humor and was never shy to use it. In this collection of his mostly wise and sometimes controversial observations about the world he lived in, its people, and its ideas, readers can learn firsthand why he became one of the most popular and irreverent figures of his day. Drawing from his books, short stories, essays, sketches, and speeches, as well as from travel and autobiographical pieces, The Wisdom of Mark Twain demonstrates that his quick tongue and keen eye offered ideas—explicit and implicit, funny and entertaining, troubling and thought provoking—that remain relatable over one hundred years later.  

In his writing, Mark Twain had a distinctly American humor and was never shy to use it. In this collection of his mostly wise and sometimes controversial observations about the world he lived in, its people, and its ideas, readers can learn firsthand why he became one of the most popular and irreverent figures of his day. Drawing from his books, short stories, essays, sketches, and speeches, as well as from travel and autobiographical pieces, The Wisdom of Mark Twain demonstrates that his quick tongue and keen eye offered ideas—explicit and implicit, funny and entertaining, troubling and thought provoking—that remain relatable over one hundred years later.  

Mark Twain (1835–1910) is the pen name of Samuel Langhorne Clemens. Twain crafted stories of heroism, adventure, tragedy, and comedy that reflected the changing America of the time. Born in Missouri, he wrote The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, two of the best known titles in American literature. He was also a proponent of women’s rights, pacifism, anti-imperialism, and labor unions.