Part memoir and part manifesto, introduces readers to the family behind America's oldest furrier and treats them to an expert's exploration of the real meaning, value, and means of acquiring true luxury goods. Beginning with a transatlantic journey and an unlikely friendship between a former Union solider and a young German boy on his way to the New World, this book not only chronicles the creation and growth of the legendary Mano Swartz Furs, it also documents issues of great social importance. As author Richard Swartz details with tremendous insight, wit, and intelligence how his great-grandfather built and ran his company over 125 years ago, he provides a valuable example of how it's possible to use position and power to create positive change-even in the face of discrimination and death. Swartz also engages readers in a critical examination of our culture's willingness to equate an expensive price tag with luxury-and makes a strong argument for the need to discern what luxury really means and how to identify it. Compounding this history, philosophy, and social commentary further, Swartz also shares practical advice for buying, updating, and maintaining furs.