Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) commands an important place in the public mind. Many Americans feel a natural and easy identification with this popular literary figure. Twain's humor, his wit, and his social concern endear him to countless Americans who think of him as "one of us."

For the general reader, this collection provides a convenient resource that will spark many debates. It will convince scholars of American literature that Clemens was a skeptic for most of his life.