All in all, a successful and prosperous life. Now the Encyclopedia Brittanica is regarded as somewhat of a joke these days but remember that prior to the 1990s, the Encyclopedia Brittanica was very prestigious and many housewives bought the set from door to door salesmen in the hopes that their children would grow up into scholars. For the most part, the books would go mostly unread and maintain excellent condition for decades, until they ended up being sold in a flea market or given away to strangers.
But I have to tell you, there was once a time in America where having a bookcase in the den groaning with volumes of the EB was a clear marker that you were firmly entrenched in the middle class.
