Thrift

Smiles, Samuel, 1812-1904Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.4

Word count: 716K words
Chapters: 72

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Thrift by Samuel SmilesAuthor: Smiles, Samuel, 1812-1904,Language: English, Class: BJ: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Ethics, Social usages, Etiquette, Religion, Release Date: Dec 22, 2004

Editor's review

This book is a collection of essays by the nineteenth-century British author Samuel Smiles on thrift and self-cultivation, belonging to the genre of ethical and practical philosophy. Drawing on numerous biographical examples and everyday observations, it discusses saving, living within one's means, self-reliance, and family responsibility, treating thrift as a foundation of personal character and social progress rather than a mere money-saving technique. The prose is plain and the argument earnest, carrying the typical tone of Victorian moral essays. For today's readers, its value lies in offering a framework that connects everyday money management with life planning; it suits reading in sections during a commute or before bed, and can also serve as material for discussing consumption values and household finances. Note that the cases and context belong to nineteenth-century Britain, and some views carry the limitations of their era; readers should weigh them against today's economic conditions, taking the principles rather than copying specific practices.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in personal finance and consumption values
Readers who enjoy moral essays and argument through biographical examples
Those who need material for discussing household finances and saving
Readers studying nineteenth-century British social ethics

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking specific investment techniques and practical guides
Readers who prefer fast-paced narratives or strongly literary works
Readers who find Victorian moralizing style hard to get used to

Reading tips

Read by chapter theme, starting with the sections on saving and household expenses.
After each chapter, write down one habit you can apply to your own income and spending.
Read alongside modern personal-finance primers and note the differences of era.
Read one section a day in spare moments rather than in one sitting.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What aspects of thrift does this book mainly discuss?

It centers on saving habits, living within one's means, self-reliance, and family responsibility, using biographical examples to show how thrift affects personal circumstances and family life; it emphasizes ethics and attitudes toward life rather than specific financial tools.

Can readers with average English read it?

The original is nineteenth-century English prose with long sentences and formal diction, so readers with average English will find it demanding. They may first use a dictionary or a translation to grasp the general meaning, then return to the original to follow the argument.

Are the book's views still applicable today?

Its principles of living within one's means, avoiding debt, and keeping reserves for the family still have reference value, but prices, social institutions, and the background of its examples have changed. Combine the principles with today's economic conditions rather than copying specific practices.

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About the author

Smiles, Samuel, 1812-1904 Author

Samuel Smiles (1812–1904) was a Scottish author and social reformer known for his inspirational works advocating self-reliance and perseverance. His best-known book, Self Help, uses examples of conduct and perseverance to argue for the value of individual effort, and it was widely read and influential in the Victorian era. He also wrote Character, a study of the formation of moral qualities. Smiles produced biographies of engineers and inventors, including Lives of the Engineers, Lives of Boulton and Watt, Men of Invention and Industry, The Life of Thomas Telford, and Life of a Scotch Naturalist: Thomas Edward. He also wrote The Huguenots in France. Thirteen of his works are held in this collection. Public information is limited; his writing generally uses biographical examples to convey diligence, self-reliance, and practical effort, combining biography with inspirational purpose.