Personal Character and National Destiny

By Harold Jones

A nation's destiny is the inevitable consequence it's peoples' values A nation's destiny is not the result of arbitrary fate but the inevitable consequence of the values to which its people subscribe.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1557788049
• ISBN13: 9781557788047
• Release Date: April 2002
• Publisher: Paragon House Publishers
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 1.31 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.4" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

A Beacon of Light in Dark Times

It's easy to get depressed about the current state of the world, between 9/11, the looming threats from terrorism, the highly public business scandals and the threat of unemployment. But it's important to remember that things can get better, people have survived far worse, and that rather than complain about our lot in life, it's time to look at how we can learn from our misfortune and become better people and better citizens as a result of it. Such are the themes that run throughout "Personal Character and National Destiny". The idea behind the book is simple, that strong personal character can allow an individual to overcome nearly any form adversity, and that a lot of such individuals make a great nation. However, what makes the book shine is the long list of examples that are used to illustrate this point, taken from the annals of American history. Rather than just a simple character sketch like you may have gotten in school, you're given a look into how these people developed throughout their lifetimes to become great Americans. These are presented in a friendly, accesible manner, and individual chapters explore different time periods and aspects of the central idea of personal character. While you may not want to read it all at once, reading a chapter or two and digesting the material over a few days will be a very rewarding experience. Though Christmas has passed, it's not too late to give this book as a gift. I'm thinking mainly of kids in high school and college--it would make a great graduation present. For the lessons in this book to have any real impact, the message is going to have to be delivered to the youth of America. I've seen Bill O'Reilly make that suggestion with his books, and I think it would be an excellent idea to do the same with "Personal Character and National Destiny". It never hurts to let your kids know that this is a great nation, and can continue to be one for generations to come.

An insightful, engaging look at our America and its future.

Why would anyone read a book about political philosophy? Maybe if the author is a close friend one could buy the thing and begin, but what would keep the pages turning? Here's what I found:Harold's (Dr. Jones to you!) book is readable. His PhD has not resulted in his using strings of rare words lifted from a thesaurus. And the logic path is straightforward.The book is relevant. It belongs with other clear and insightful books about our current condition and how we got here. And it points out clearly what we must do to survive the fate of other once-great, but now declining or fallen nations.In my view, no intellectual piece is quite complete if not spiced with unforced humor in keeping with the author's personality. I can see Harold's smile as he delivers his frequent jabs.Everyone loves surprises, and this book supplies them. In fact, it drops them on the reader when they are least expected; well-placed jolts to move you out of the media-induced mire. For example, who would think that the future of our nation depends on the stories we tell our children?! Read the book and you'll see that it's true.Another jolt to those of us who sometimes enjoy whining rather than taking action is the historical proof Harold offers of its futility. He reminds us, for example, that Andrew Carnegie, who began work at age 13 as bobbin boy in a cotton mill for $1.20 a week because his father was unemployed, later netted $300 million when he sold his Carnegie Steel company. He "began lower, worked harder, had more lucky breaks, and rose higher than anyone ever conjured up by the imagination of a writer."Finally, no book is worthy of the time required to read it, if it doesn't teach a useful and foundational truth. Harold shows that the "achievement imagery" concept is vital to economic progress, and is the force that can prevent the otherwise inevitable, and seemingly imminent decline of our beloved USA.