The Humbugs of the World by P. T. Barnum
"The Humbugs of the World" by P. T. Barnum is a collection of essays and anecdotes written in the mid-19th century. The book explores the many forms of deception, quackery, and humbug that have pervaded society throughout history, touching on various subjects from politics and religion to commerce and medicine. Barnum, a celebrated showman and entertainer, aims to expose these deceptions while also reflecting on the nature of belief and gullibility amongthe general population. The opening of the work sets the stage for Barnum's exploration of humbugs by defining the term and highlighting its prevalence across various fields of human endeavor. He starts by emphasizing that humbug is not limited to outright fraud but includes any form of deceit that misleads the public. He laments the myriad ways people deceive themselves and one another in pursuit of personal gain or public approval. Through a series of reflections, anecdotes, and personal experiences, Barnum establishes the broad scope of humbuggery and hints at the intriguing examples to be discussed in the chapters that follow. The introduction engages readers by promising a humorous yet insightful examination of human nature and the quirks found within society's fabric. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Barnum, P. T. (Phineas Taylor), 1810-1891 |
|---|---|
| LoC No. | 28002628 |
| Title | The Humbugs of the World An Account of Humbugs, Delusions, Impositions, Quackeries, Deceits and Deceivers Generally, in All Ages |
| Note | Reading ease score: 66.5 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. |
| Credits | Produced by Julia Miller and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | AZ: General Works: History of scholarship and learning, The humanities |
| Subject | Impostors and imposture |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 26640 |
| Release Date | Sep 16, 2008 |
| Most Recently Updated | Jan 4, 2021 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 466 downloads in the last 30 days. |
| Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free! | |
