author
Ralph Albert Parlette
1870–1930
A popular early 20th-century lecturer and self-help writer, he turned the rough lessons of everyday life into upbeat, practical books meant to encourage ordinary readers. His best-known work, The University of Hard Knocks, helped make his name on the lyceum and Chautauqua circuits.
1 Audiobook
The University of Hard Knocks
by Ralph Albert Parlette
About the author
Born in 1870 and dying in 1930, Ralph Albert Parlette was an American author and public speaker remembered for blending humor, motivational advice, and plainspoken optimism. Records for his books in major library catalogs confirm him as the author of The University of Hard Knocks and The Big Business of Life, works that framed struggle and ambition as part of a larger education in living.
Parlette was closely associated with the lyceum and Chautauqua world, where speakers, entertainers, and educators traveled widely to address public audiences. Contemporary and bibliographic sources describe him not just as a writer but also as a lecturer, which helps explain the energetic, conversational style of his books.
His writing belongs to an earlier tradition of American inspirational literature: warm, direct, and focused on character, perseverance, and making something useful out of setbacks. Even now, his work stands out for its cheerful attempt to turn hard experience into practical wisdom.