what is man?

what is man? and j. w. paiges’ machine for distributing, setting, and justifying type

a man’s brain is so constructed that it can originate nothing whatever. it can only use material obtained outside. it is merely a machine, and it works automatically, not by willpower. it has no command over itself, its owner has no command over it.

what is man? is a dialogue between a young man and an old man regarding the nature of man. the title refers to psalm 8:4, which begins ‘what is man, that you are mindful of him…’. the text was written by j. w. bothwell (samuel langhorne clemens alias mark twain) in 1906. twain never really published the book. he had 250 copies printed at the de vinne press in new york for private circulation only. the book was anonymous, the author distributing it only among his intimate friends. after his death in 1910, the new york tribune published a feature on it. criticism at that time focused on its dark and anti-religious nature.
the drawings of us patent 547 860, issued on the 15th october 1895 to j. w. paiges’ machine for distributing, setting, and justifying type are featured alongside the philosophical text, an explanation by dr. david m. macmillan, and an essay with the title twain, paige and the machine that destroyed them by jim hughes.

idea, concept & design by frank philippin & billy kiosoglou alias brighten the corners brightenthecorners.com

paperback, 125x190mm
184 pages, bw, 94 drawings
on 100% recycled paper
edition of 250 (numbered) copies

isbn 978-3-949363-06-1