I would appreciate a complementary edition that focuses only on marginal voices, but I understand that isn't Safire's background or his goal. It's mostly about Europeans and Americans, and mostly about white men, except for a few token expansions, mostly in the social responsibility section. We are imperfect, and we suffer setbacks, but we are slowly opening our eyes, expanding who we consider human and becoming more perfect reflections of our ideals." I know that's likely not the case, but it's a pretty, inspirational fiction to be reminded of.įinally, this book is mostly Western, you've just got to deal with it. Especially in the Tributes, Sermons and Speeches of Social progress, the book says "See? Humanity is getting better. This cyclical style reproduces a cozy sense of progress that I haven't felt since my high school history classes. The speeches are split by topic, and then organized chronologically. I also appreciated the organization of the book, which I've seen others object to. It's a good jolt to remind yourself of duty, self-sacrifice, compassion, humility and hard work. I most appreciated this book when it argues for the best of mankind.
My favorite speeches are listed below, but even the best of the best speeches can be dry when read instead of listened too. Like any anthology, the quality of this book is scattershot.
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