This book makes many original contributions to the study of Poe and his times. As I read through it, I began to understand what Poe must have felt as he struggled to make it as a professional writer. The book has something for everyone: capitalism, slavery, desperate acts of deception, and a fascinating link between Poe and Charles Babbage, who invented the prototype of the modern computer. I especially liked the fact that Whalen laid out convincing evidence--much of it new--instead of just making assertions. The book is not just an interpretation of Poe; it's really an attempt to recreate one of the most important moments in American cultural history.