This collection of essays, published in 1858, inaugurated a series of similar books that Holmes would publish over the course of his long career. The essays are set in the dining room of a boarding house and feature one-sided humorous perorations by the otherwise unnamed "Autocrat" on a number of subjects from old age to conversation.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. (August 29, 1809 – October 7, 1894) was an American physician, poet, and polymath based in Boston. A member of the Fireside Poets, he was acclaimed by his peers as one of the best writers of the day. His most famous prose works are the "Breakfast-Table" series, which began with The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table (1858). He was also an important medical reformer. In addition to his work as an author and poet, Holmes also served as a physician, professor, lecturer and inventor and, although he never practiced it, he received formal training in law. (Excerpt from Wikipedia)