I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. The background information of each individual was well researched and presented in an organized, interesting fashion. Each section is a fairly quick read and reminds us that one person CAN incite change in our world.

Cusick skillfully presents a narrative on seven of America's most distinguished people. Cusick attributes their advancements in knowledge and life-long accomplishments to both an intrinsic motivation to learn and family support. A central theme throughout this book is how these people strived to improve not only their lives, but also the lives of others. Many, like Benjamin Franklin, worked in diverse jobs, which provided him with a wealth of worldly experiences. W. E. B. Du Bois, however, is the book's most schooled American.

Du Bois earned his doctorate at Harvard. Du Bois' teaching curriculum included the studies of core subjects, moral philosophy, and the humanities, which was unlike Booker T. Washington's curriculum, which advocated studying the manual trades. The theoretical framework of Du Bois' work is based on Hegel's philosophy. Du Bois' journey through life focused on ending racial oppression and racial discrimination. Cusick details the struggles of the Black race and explains how Du Bois sought to use education to improve their lives. Because the philosophy of Du Bois and Washington differed vastly, Cusick includes a substantial background on Washington's efforts to improve Black Americans thorough technical training at the Tuskegee Institute.

J. Robert Oppenheimer's accomplishments were most inspiring. Oppenheimer's parents provided him with intellectual equals to shape his cognitive abilities. The family's commitment to provide intellectual conversations at meal times was impressive and served to underpin how education is both a personal and family matter. In the chapter on Oppenheimer, Cusick details how social interactions with other intellectual thinkers, such as Albert Einstein, served to advance the overall knowledge about a concept. In this case, the concept was fission and lead to the development and testing of the atomic bomb. What Cusick makes clear is that the timeline for the development of the atomic bomb was critical and only through social interactions of the greatest minds could this undertaking advance so quickly.

The other chapters are also impressive and Cusick did an excellent job with the writing. I believe an educator could use this book at the high school level to advance history education, reading, and writing. Each chapter provides a wealth of knowledge.