Making Life Worth While

Making Life Worth While is a self-help book written by Douglas Fairbanks, American actor and producer, known as The First King of Hollywood. His formula for happiness is simple: humbleness, healthy humor, and physical culture, while his basic message echoes throughout the book: energy and optimism. Nearly everything has to do with such a subject and that is what the book contains—everything in general—and nothing in particular—just such things as came to mind that seemed worthwhile.



Douglas Fairbanks (1883-1939) was an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films including The Thief of Bagdad, Robin Hood, and The Mark of Zorro. Fairbanks was a founding member of The Motion Picture Academy and hosted the 1st Academy Awards in 1929. With his marriage to Mary Pickford, the couple became Hollywood royalty and Fairbanks was referred to as "The King of Hollywood." In 1917, Fairbanks capitalized on his rising popularity by publishing a self-help book, Laugh and Live which extolled the power of positive thinking and self-confidence in raising one's health, business and social prospects.