"Reprint of a 1902 novel which tells the story of Curtis Jadwin, a man whose increasing attention to earning money in the wheat market of Chicago almost destroys his marriage." ***"In the sequel to 'The Octopus, ' Curtis Jadwin works so hard to make money on the Chicago stock exchange that he ignores his loving wife." ***"This classic literary critique of turn-of-the-century capitalism in the United States reveals Norris's powerful story of an obsessed trader intent on cornering the wheat market and the consequences of his unchecked greed." *** "Curtis Jadwin, a successful turn-of-the-century dealer in Chicago real estate, overcomes reluctance and begins gambling in wheat futures in the great Chicago grain market called 'The Pit, ' bring on financial panic across the nation. Jadwin's pursuit of power and excitement through speculation had estranged him from his beautiful wife, Laura, who had found herself losing out to the Pit in competition for his live and attention. But the collapse of his paper empire, in which he loses everything, real property included, reunites them as they look to begin life anew in the West." Howard. America as Story.