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Book Review  by Ida Nasatir

Ready, Willig and Abel by Walter Artzt
December 30, 1949—Ida Nasatir book review—Ready, Willig and Abel by Walter Artzt—Southwestern Jewish Press, page 3 : It was good of Mrs. Kaufman to give me a book that made me chuckle far into the night. This book, Ready, Willig and Abel, is the story of the Americanization of Willig and his brother, Abel. It is warm, colorful and humorous. On the morning that Willig was to leave his native village of Russia, to join his brother in America, it seemed as though the town had suddenly developed a passion to write to their relatives in the "Golden Land," America. Every pocket of Willig's suit was filled to overflowing with letters to relatives in such "neighboring" cities as New York, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, San Francisco,Detroit and Chicago. Willig as warned NOT to trust these letters to the mails. He was admonished to deliver them personally. But when Willig came to America to join Abel, he forgot about the letters. He discovered the wonders of Atlantic City, the glory of hot dogs, the excitement of free mustard and soda pop. Willig wanted to work. During the first week he had a new job every day.  He bought a bicycle. When he and the Philadelphia transit could not agree on who had the right of way, Willig discarded his wrecked bicycle and bought a Model T from Marvin the Bargain Man. The Model T was not only no model. It wasn't even a bargain. But nothing connected with Willig was ever a bargain. Willig's brother, Abel, is an incredible mixture ofDanny Kaye, Harpo Marx and Mischa Auer. Being in America one year, he was a "thorough American" and he was determined that Willig pass through the greenhorn stage in even a shorter time. His splurge in the stock market of '29, his explanation of how the stock market is run, his knowledge of the bulls and the bears" in the market is hilarious. As a financier, he says to his brother, Willig: "When you are a bear, you don't buy stocks, you only sell...remember.. a bear sells stocks he doesn't have."  The author of this book, Walter Artzt, a successful business man in Allentown, Pennsylvania, remembers his early days in America with affection and nostalgia.  He believes man's greatest asset is his sense of humor, and he certainly has it. He displays authentic wit in describing the adventures of these two brothers in the land of "milk and honey."  His comments on business, labor, democracy, on politics and Hollywood, are pungent, and the result of shrewd observation. His explanation of the difference between the Bulls and Bears in the stock market is a classic in humorous confusion. Ready, Willig and Abel is a colorful account of life as it is lived only by a lucky few. It is also an impudent, entertaining account of Willig's introduction to America.