Rough and Ready
Life Among the New York Newsboys

Horatio Alger, Jr. (1832-1899) may be one of America’s greatest authors. According to Wikipedia’s list of best-selling authors, Alger is the best-selling American fiction author of the 1800s and one of the best-selling authors in world history. Alger’s books are thrilling page-turners with cliff-hanger endings that leave readers eager for the next chapter. While his books are hugely entertaining, Alger wrote with a serious purpose, believing that books could have a profound influence on readers for good or ill. Alger creates a stark contrast between his heroes and villians. In the tradition of Benjamin Franklin, the heroes are industrious, thrifty, honest, and temperate. In their struggle to survive and prosper in a free, competitive economy, they exhibit bravery, generosity, filial devotion, neatness, and a belief in the importance of education. They achieve success by deserving it. Not only young adults, but men and women and boys and girls of all ages have been fascinated by Alger’s stories. Narrated and very slightly edited by Christopher Crennen.Praise for Alger’s writing: “very readable and entertaining”, “startlingly modern style, simple and realistic”, “no juvenile books are more persistently read”, “thrilling episodes”, “causes the sympathetic tear”, “bright and lively”, “exciting and interesting”, “spirited adventures”, “stirring”.Praise for Alger’s lessons: “full of inspiration to honesty and industry”, “virtue rewarded and evil punished”, “hard work, ambition, and high moral character”, “cheerfulness, honesty, and good deeds”, “self-reliance, self-discipline, decency”, “full of excellent lessons and helpful thoughts”, “impressive and wholesome”, “good practical advice”, “useful lessons”, “the right kind of story-telling”.More praise for Alger’s books: “pure and simple”, “a delight”, “commendable”, “spirited and inspiring”, “most heartily recommend”, “admirable”, “excellent”, “phenomenal”, “swell”, “rattling good”, “bully”.