Volume 1 of 2. This work is Barnum’s recollections of forty busy years. There is an almost universal, and not unworthy curiosity to learn the methods and measures, the ups and downs, the strifes and victories, the mental and moral personnel of those who have taken an active and prominent part in human affairs. But an autobiography has attractions and merits superior to those of a life written by another who cannot know all that helps to give interest and accuracy to the narrative. Barnum’s narrative is interspersed with amusing incidents and even the recital of some very practical jokes. Such is simply because his natural disposition impels him to look upon the brighter side of life and he hopes that his humorous experiences will entertain the reader as much as they were enjoyed by himself.