A Traveler from Altruria Author:W. D. Howells A Utopian/Dystopian Classic! This revealing tale was first published in 1894. Regardless of the reader's political leanings, this book is a fascinating and thought provoking read. Mr. Homos, a foreigner from Altruria, a Utopian country inhabited exclusively by altruists, who believe that they have a moral obligation to help and serve others even... more » at the sacrifice of self-interest, comes to spend his vacation at an upscale resort in America. When a fashionable bourgeois intellectual arranges for Homos to lecture on conditions in Altruria, the outcome is earthshaking. Howells hoped his novel would allow readers to confront the inconsistencies and injustices of Gilded Age America. The book even inspired a short-lived Utopian community named Altruria to be founded in Sonoma County, California. Reprinted here as a historical document, the text is supported with a comprehensive introduction, chronology, and questions for consideration. Add this compelling classic to your library today!« less