author
Louis Custer Martin Reed
b. 1879
Known today for a single surviving title, this early 20th-century humorist turned office life and business culture into sharp, playful satire. His work captures the language, habits, and absurdities of the American workplace with a light touch.
1 Audiobook
Dumbells of Business
by Louis Custer Martin Reed
About the author
Very little biographical information about this author is readily confirmed online beyond the catalog record that identifies him as Louis Custer Martin Reed (born 1879).
He is chiefly remembered for Dumbells of Business, published in Boston by The Stratford Co. in 1922. The book presents humorous sketches about business life, using satire to poke fun at workplace manners, management habits, and the self-importance of commercial culture.
Because so few reliable details about his life appear in standard reference sources, Reed remains a somewhat elusive figure. What survives most clearly is the voice in his writing: witty, observant, and amused by the everyday theater of American business.