INTRODUCTION

MANY books concerning life insurance have been published heretofore for the instruction of persons who are engaged in the life insurance business in one capacity or another. They will in some cases be found useful also to persons who merely patronise life insurance; and, when this is true, will amply repay study.

This book is published, however, for the special uses of the great public, composed of per-sons, nearly all of whom purchase insurance on their lives. Many of these also earn their livelihood by selling it, some by employment in the service of companies that provide it, and a very few in managing these companies. It is hoped and anticipated that just because this book has been prepared for the instruction of all who buy and hold life insurance policies, it will be of unusual interest and perhaps of uncommon utility to the agents of life insurance companies, their employees and their officers; but that is not the chief purpose.

In this volume it is intended to speak plainly and fairly on all subjects, on the ground that vii