Publisher's Synopsis
A collection of writings by the social reformer - edited by the author of "Jane Addams and the Dream of American Democracy" - reveals the essential Jane Addams. Jane Addams was a prolific and elegant writer. Her 12 books consist largely of published essays, but to appreciate her life work, one must also read her previously uncollected speeches and editorials. This compiled collection begins with Addams's youthful 'Junior Class Oration' on women as "Breadgivers", features thoughtful examinations of topics as diverse as "Tolstoy and Gandhi" and "The Public School and the Immigrant Child", and even includes popular essays on "The Subtle Problems of Charity", from "The Atlantic Monthly", and "Need a Woman Over Fifty Feel Old?" from "Ladies' Home Journal". Along with the writings themselves, Elshtain's commentary offers evidence of Addams's ability to frame social problems in an ethical context, her unwillingness to succumb to ideological dogma, her political courage, and her lifelong devotion to civic and moral life.
