author
William R. (William Rufus) Scott
b. 1886
Known for sharp, practical books on American habits and media business, this early 20th-century writer took on subjects that many people preferred not to examine too closely. His work ranges from a study of tipping culture to advice on newspaper circulation, giving modern listeners a window into everyday life and commerce of his era.
1 Audiobook
The Itching Palm: A Study of the Habit of Tipping in America
by William R. (William Rufus) Scott
About the author
Active in the 1910s, William R. Scott published books including The Americans in Panama (1912), Scientific Circulation Management for Newspapers (1915), and The Itching Palm: A Study of the Habit of Tipping in America (1916). Library catalogs consistently identify him as William R. Scott, or William Rufus Scott, born in 1886.
His books suggest a writer interested in how modern systems actually worked — from American life abroad to the business side of newspapers and the social expectations around tipping. The Itching Palm is the title he is best remembered for today, and it still stands out for its direct, argumentative look at a familiar custom.
Reliable biographical details about his personal life are limited in the sources I found. A grave record matching this author gives dates of December 24, 1886, to November 13, 1951, but because fuller biographical documentation was scarce, it is best to treat the available portrait and life details with caution.