Bobby Culver is just sixteen when he drops out of school to follow his big brother Jim into the jewelry business. Bobby idolizes Jim and, from the moment he steps off the plane from Canada, he's in awe of Jim's girlfriend Lisa, the best saleswoman at the Fort Worth Gold and Silver Exchange. How to Sell is the story of a young man's education in the two oldest human passions, love and money. It charts the swift rise of the Culver brothers and tallies the cost of their success on everyone around them, especially on the woman who becomes a lover to both men. Through the lens of this classic tragedy, a sentimental education for our time, Martin captures the luxury business in all its exquisite vulgarity, finding in the diamond and watch trade a metaphor for the American soul at work. How to Sell is a marvel of economy, observation, and emotional truth.

CLANCY MARTIN worked for more than a decade in the fine jewelry business. A professor of philosophy at the University of Kansas, he is known for his translations of Nietzsche and Kierkegaard. He is currently at work on a new translation of Nietzsche's Ecce Hommo and a book-length essay for FSG on marriage and deceit. His first appearance in McSweeney's was nominated for a 2008 National Magazine Award.