Cosmopolitan is an international magazine for women. It was first published in 1886 in the United States as a family magazine, was later transformed into a literary magazine and eventually became a women's magazine in the late 1960s. Also known as Cosmo, its current content includes articles on relationships and sex, health, careers, celebrities, as well as fashion and beauty. Cosmopolitan has 58 international editions, is printed in 34 languages and is distributed in more than 100 countries.

To be sure, I am a student of literature and a fan of Mark Twain, but I had no idea, none whatsoever (!), of what a rich and inspiring life he lived. He was a comic genius as well as a man devastated by continual heartbreak. I have always known PBS to do a wonderful job with their specials, and I have admired Ken Burns since the day I first discovered his work on the women's movement i.e. the Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton story (highly recommended as well!)... but in their retelling of Mark Twain's life, these two forces have outdone themselves.