Introduction / 3
Part 1 What Is Thrift? / 9
1. Thrift as Growing / 12
2. Thrift as Good Fortune / 15
3. Thrift as Prospering / 18
4. Thrift as Saving / 23
5. Thrift as Hoarding / 30
6. What Thrift Is / 37
Part 2 The Cases against Thrift / 55
7. The Ascetic’s Case / 56
8. The Prophet’s Case / 57
9. The Gentleman’s Case / 58
10. The Sensualist’s Case / 61
11. The Economist’s Case / 68
12. The Socialist’s Case / 73
13. The Spendthrift’s Case / 79
Part 3 Visionaries / 83
14. By Dint of His Thrift: Daniel Defoe (b. 1660) / 85
15. The More Treasure They Will Lay Up in Heaven: John Wesley (b. 1703) / 90
16. The Art of Making Money Plenty: Benjamin Franklin (b. 1706) / 93
17. Duncan of Ruthwell: Henry Duncan (b. 1774) / 109
18. Knox’s Bank: James, Walter, and James Knox / 115
19. Those Rules of Thrift and Economy: Catharine Beecher (b. 1800) / 118
20. Those Who Are Not Ashamed of Economy: Lydia Marie Child (b. 1802) / 121
21. The Prophet of Victorian England: Samuel Smiles (b. 1812) / 124
22. Sikes of Huddersfield: Charles Sikes (b. 1818) / 129
23. Who Catches the Vision? Alonzo, Wilmot, and Wilmot Evans / / 133
24. A Constant Lesson in Thrift: Clara Barton (b. 1821) / 135
25. The Greater Thrift: Charles Pratt (b. 1830) / 137
26. Always Had a Broom in My Hand: John Wanamaker (b. 1838) / 139
27. A Day Labourer So Long: Edward Brabrook (b. 1839) / 142
28. The Idea of Thrift: Orison Swett Marden (b. 1850) / / / 144
29. That We May Save the Greatest: Bolton Hall (b. 1854) / 147
30. A Person Who Makes Beautiful Things: Elbert Hubbard (b. 1856) / 150
31. Character in the Highest and Best Sense: Booker T. Washington (b. 1856) / 153
32. Beauty in Homespun: Martha Berry (b. 1866) / 160
33. Creative Economy: S. W. Straus (b. 1866) / 162
34. Take the Nickels and Turn Them into Dollars: Maggie L. Walker (b. 1867) / 166
35. Some Reflection of the Simple Virtues: Laurence C. Jones (b. 1882) / 168
36. George Never Leaves Bedford Falls: Frank Capra (b. 1897) / 172
Part 4 Institutions / 177
37. Thrift Boxes / 179
38. Gardens / 185
39. Friendly and Fraternal Societies / 187
40. Mutual Savings Banks / 192
41. Producer and Consumer Cooperatives / 210
42. Building and Loan Associations / 214
43. Credit Unions / 225
44. Public Libraries / 234
45. Thrift Shops / 240
Part 5 Movements / 243
46. To Build International Solidarity / 245
47. To Bring People Together / 250
48. To Organize Sacrifice / 260
49. To Train Children / 269
Part 6 Thrift Wisdom / 277
50. Proverbs and Maxims / 279
Conclusion: The Possibilities of American Thrift / 291
Acknowledgments / 304
Appendix A: Do You Know What Thrift Is? (A Quiz) / 305
Appendix B: Puritans and Quakers / 306
Notes / 310
Quote Citations / 313
Index / 341
