author

Joseph Francis MacGrail

b. 1873

An early 20th-century writer remembered today mostly through practical, motivational nonfiction. His surviving catalog suggests an interest in salesmanship and self-improvement for everyday readers.

1 Audiobook

Selling Things

Selling Things

by Orison Swett Marden, Joseph Francis MacGrail

About the author

Joseph Francis MacGrail was born in 1873. Reliable catalog records available here identify him as the author of works that have remained in library and reprint collections, though detailed biographical information appears to be scarce.

The title most clearly associated with him in the sources reviewed is Selling Things, a practical book connected with early self-help and business writing. That points to an author writing for general readers who wanted advice they could put to work in everyday life.

Because so little verified personal information was available in the sources consulted, much of his life story remains unclear. What does stand out is his place among lesser-known authors whose books continue to circulate because of their useful, straightforward themes.