This is really a series of potted biography-studies, ranging from Teddy Roosevelt down to Bill Clinton. On the way, we encounter Henry Ford, Woodrow Wilson, Babe Ruth the giant of baseball, Duke Ellington, Frank Lloyd Wright, Lucky Luciano, Albert Einstein, Betty Friedan, Billy Graham, et alii et alii. Though the style is popular, it is not pitched to the gallery and in fact a great deal of accessible information is contained in these pen-portraits, together with some shrewd judgments. With so much ground and such disparate personalities covered, this is practically a panorama of American life and with nearly 400 pages of smallish print, good value for money.