Life — May 11, 1922 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis This page is **entirely advertising**, not political satire or editorial cartoon content. It advertises "World's Famous Books" — a mail-order book collection offered by Haldeman-Julius Company at 10 cents per volume. The ad lists 239 classical titles across categories: Fiction, History/Biography, Philosophy, Science, Poetry, and Humor. Notable authors include Oscar Wilde, Tolstoy, Shakespeare, and Voltaire. The marketing pitch emphasizes affordability and convenience — books compressed into pocket-sized formats, orderable by number directly from the publisher rather than bookstores. A special offer promises the entire 239-volume collection for $16.90 (less than 8 cents per copy). This reflects early 20th-century mass-market publishing strategies making "serious" literature accessible to working-class readers.