Character

SAMUEL SMILES is best known today as a prolific author of books that extol the virtues of self-help, character and duty, and of biographies lauding the achievements of famous civil and mechanical engineers among whom are Brindley, Smeaton, Rennie, Boulton, Watt, Telford and the Stephensons, but, oddly, not Isambard Kingdom Brunel. His books-particularly that on self help-were influential in their day, as is evidenced by their wide popularity and translation into other languages and a number of his titles, among them the title at hand: Character, remain available in modern reprints.