author

Edwin Seward Puller

b. 1870

A St. Louis scout leader and early 20th-century writer, he is best known for practical books about raising and guiding boys. His work reflects the ideals of the Boy Scout movement and a strong interest in character, discipline, and everyday moral training.

1 Audiobook

Your boy and his training : $b A practical treatise on boy-training

Your boy and his training : $b A practical treatise on boy-training

by Edwin Seward Puller

About the author

Born in 1870, Edwin Seward Puller is a relatively obscure American author whose surviving reputation rests mainly on his writing about youth and character. Reliable online catalog records identify him as the author of Your Boy and His Training and date him as "1870-"; beyond that, biographical details appear to be scarce in widely available sources.

His best-known book, Your Boy and His Training (published in 1916), presents itself as a practical guide for parents and teachers. In the book, Puller draws on his experience working with boys and is identified as a former president of the Scoutmasters' Association of St. Louis, suggesting a close connection to the early Scouting movement in the United States.

That background helps explain the tone of his writing: direct, instructional, and focused on helping adults understand adolescent boys and shape their habits and character. Even if little is now remembered about Puller himself, his work offers a small window into Progressive Era ideas about education, parenting, and citizenship.