The Clock that Had no Hands And Nineteen Other Essays About Advertising

Herbert Kaufman's The Clock that Had no Hands And Nineteen Other Essays About Advertising sounds a timeless alarm for businesses that ignore the power of effective promotion. A series of nineteen sharp, anecdote-rich essays first published in the early 1900s, Kaufman blends practical counsel, witty parable, and commercial philosophy to argue that newspaper advertising and good copy are the hands that make modern commerce move. Topics range from retail advertising and neighborhood marketing to the mechanics of persuasive copywriting—chapters such as "How to Write Retail Advertising Copy" and "Some Don'ts when You Do Advertise" offer concrete tips, while pieces like "The Perambulating Showcase" and "The Dollar that Can't be Spent" illuminate broader economic and social shifts. Set against the rise of mass media and the transition from corner shops to citywide markets, these essays sit at the intersection of Economics/Political Economy and marketing history. Kaufman’s voice is part historian, part ad man: readable, opinionated, and surprisingly modern. Ideal for marketers, small-business owners, advertising students, and anyone curious about the history of commerce, this audiobook delivers foundational lessons in persuasion and promotion with period charm and enduring relevance.