Humbugs of the World Audiobook By P. T. Barnum cover art

Humbugs of the World

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Humbugs of the World

By: P. T. Barnum
Narrated by: Rick Adamson
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Buy for $21.00

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Here is P. T. Barnum's insightful review of humbugs, scams, deceits (and self-deceits) in culture, economics, entertainment, religion, medicine, and more.

Public Domain (P)2010 Audible, Inc. Social Sciences Classics Criminology Crime Medical Ethics Funny World Medicine & Health Care Industry

Editorial reviews

P. T. Barnum was a force of a man who changed entertainment and how it was marketed to the public. Best known as the founder of Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus he’s also been attached with the moniker of con man, flimflam artist, and humbug. You won't find a shred of an apology here, however. He defines a humbug in the pejorative sense as someone who, through fraudulent claims, "abuses" the public, in contrast to the harmless sort, such as himself, who "amuses". Barnum, normally the entertainer, is here the politician and Rick Adams takes on the historic and worldly tone of his words in this audiobook describing humbugs from all walks of life encountered during the man’s illustrious life and work.
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Barnum writes well and does a fine job discussing mid and late 19th century "humbugs" in advertising, quack medicines, spiritualism, etc. With light humor and a witty tone, Barnum's writing give you a better sense of why he became one of the great showmen of the era. For Barnum, what defines a true "humbug" is the foisting of a fake or inferior product on the public supported solely by hullabaloo. Barnum claims he always gave the public their money's worth, and there was nothing wrong with that. Interestingly, there is a long section about "Grizzly Adams" and his trained animal show--and he is apparently not the Mountain Man of mid-19th Century California lore or the fictionalized Dan Haggerty TV version but a different character entirely. We'll worth a read and a good deal of fun to hear about flim-flam from the inside out.

Fun Observations from Barnum

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