"Eclectic School Readings" is a 1904 work by American writer Orison
Swett Marden. Within it, Marden has briefly outlined various life
stories from the lives of great historical figures in order to show to
young people that--regardless of their circumstances or birth--they are
able to live lives that are remembered in history book for generations.
Contents include: "The Mill Boy of the Slashes", "The Greek Slave Who
Won the Olive Crown", "He Aimed High and Hit the Mark", "The Evolution
of a Violinist", "The Lesson of the Teakettle", "How the Art of Printing
was Discovered", "Sea Fever and What it Led to", "Gladstone Found Time
to be Kind", etc. Dr. Orison Swett Marden (1848-1924) was an American
author of inspirational books. He wrote primarily on the subject of
being successful and founded "SUCCESS" magazine in 1897. Marden's books
deal with attaining a fruitful and well-rounded life, with many of his
ideas being based on the New Thought movement.