David Harum: A Story of American Life by Edward Noyes Westcott [FIRST EDITION] 1898 ❧ Grosset & Dunlap

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David Harum: A Story of American Life by Edward Noyes [ E.N. ] Westcott 

FIRST EDITION [1898] GROSSET & DUNLAP 

Antique hardcover sans dust jacket as issued.  

Some staining to boards.  Binding is tight.  *A series of pages toward the rear of the book have varying degrees of water damage, however affected pages are still very readable. [see last photo for the worst of it]


The main appeal of the work seems to have been to businessmen, attracted by its approval of a much more relaxed code of business ethics then was presented in most novels of the time. Harum was an inveterate horse-trader and considered engaging in the dubious practices long associated with this activity as morally justified by the expectation that similar practices would be employed by his adversary. In principle, he contended that this made horse-trading quite different from other lines of business, yet in practice most business dealings seemed to him to be a species of horse trading, justifying considerable deviation from conventional standards of probity. The fact that these sentiments were placed in the mouth of an elderly country banker—on the face of it, a clear spokesman for traditional values—was particularly appealing in that it made these business ethics appear a reflection of the practices of shrewd businessmen through the ages rather than an indicator of moral degeneration. Harum's version of the golden rule, "Do on to others", in light of dubious business practices is the highlight of this book.The main appeal of the work seems to have been to businessmen, attracted by its approval of a much more relaxed code of business ethics then was presented in most novels of the time. Harum was an inveterate horse-trader and considered engaging in the dubious practices long associated with this activity as morally justified by the expectation that similar practices would be employed by his adversary. In principle, he contended that this made horse-trading quite different from other lines of business, yet in practice most business dealings seemed to him to be a species of horse trading, justifying considerable deviation from conventional standards of probity. The fact that these sentiments were placed in the mouth of an elderly country banker—on the face of it, a clear spokesman for traditional values—was particularly appealing in that it made these business ethics appear a reflection of the practices of shrewd businessmen through the ages rather than an indicator of moral degeneration. Harum's version of the golden rule, "Do on to others", in light of dubious business practices is the highlight of this book.