But while he may sometimes stoop to our level, he still manages to awe and inspire us. His girth comes not from potato chips and other junk foods but from a fine appreciation of what a superb chef can create. His obesity softens his snobbery. (And why some brewery hasn't tempted Wolfe to help give it an upscale image remains a mystery.) Despite his shortcomings, both his mind and, yes, his discipline enable him to perform superhuman deeds. Archie Goodwin? He displays another side of intellectual capital--street smarts, or good common sense. How would Nero Wolfe, in this age of the microchip, react to personal computers? One might think he would contemptuously dismiss these contraptions. But that would be underestimating our hero. He would rightly observe that they are still viii Introduction not very "user-friendly." Contrary to expectation, though, he would quickly grasp how useful their information prowess can be. Archie would make full use of them as well, although he wouldn't employ them with Wolfe's verve and imagination. Too Many Clients highlights some of the special characteristics of a Rex Stout mystery: Money. "There was nothing wrong with his long, bony face and broad forehead, but he simply didn't have the air of a man who might make a sizable contribution to Nero Wolfe's bank balance. . . . With no prospect of a fat fee in sight, it was beginning to look as if a trip to the safe deposit box might be called for before the Fourth of July." Eye for telling detail. "Another point against him was that he had no hat. Ninety-eight percent of men who can pay big fees wear hats. . . . The tops of his sox, gray with little red dots, were down nearly to his shoes." (This book was written before John IF. Kennedy went hatless to his inauguration. His topless example soon made hats old hat.) Food. "When we are at table in the dining room for lunch or dinner, any attention of business is taboo.