Thomas Jefferson: His Essential Wisdom invites readers to consider the man who, perhaps more than any other in our nations history, personifies the spirit of enlightened and revolutionary ideas that formed the basis of what the Founding Fathers called the "American experiment."
This collection gathers together more than three hundred quotations excerpted from Jeffersons public papers, addresses, and essays, as well as from his vast archive of personal correspondence. Arranged thematically, they reflect the subjects that were of greatest import and concern to Jefferson himself. In these selections, Thomas Jefferson:

challenges the authority of the British to deny the individuals in the States of America their God-given rights and liberties;

proclaims the paramount need for religious tolerance in the new republic;

extols the value of living peaceably with all peoples of the world.

Here, too, are prose passages that reveal a more personal side of Jefferson. He conveys his conflicting views on the issues of slavery and race; he expresses his grief at the long list of loved ones who succumbed to an early death; he confides his longing for the domestic comforts of home and family; he delights in his life-long love of reading and books; and he offers words of practical advice to his beloved children and grandchildren on such subjects as procrastination, diet and exercise, and the value of a good conscience.
In addition to Jeffersons own words, readers will find a sampling of quotations about Jefferson from John Adams, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and other giants of American history. Together, with excerpts fromwriters, historians, and professors they offer keen insights and observations about Thomas Jefferson the man, the enduring legacy of his immortal words, and its impact on freedom-loving people everywhere