Honing a perfect personality

Author: Samuel Smiles
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: Samuel Smiles' interest in this area has always been drawn to the theme of "Forging Perfect Character." He is accustomed to taking notes from his speeches to young people, sometimes jotting down the results of reading, observation, and life experiences after several hours of class, as he was formulating related themes. One prominent example in his early speeches was his description of the mechanic—Stephenson. Additionally, Samuel Smiles had the special convenience and opportunity to describe Mr. Stephenson's life and career, which encouraged him to work as usual until the very end, when he published his autobiography. This book was also written in a similar spirit, and the origins of the two books are basically the same. However, the personality traits listed earlier do not need to be taken too seriously—they are just summaries, not lengthy descriptions. In most cases, only some notable characteristics are noticed; personal lives and nations often focus their attention and interest on the course of events. Now, Samuel Smiles has presented this book to the readers, hoping that the spirit of diligence, perseverance, and self-cultivation in the book will benefit and inspire the readers, and that everyone will find it interesting.