I'm at a loss to discover "courage" in the actions of some of these people. Elliot of Alabama, for instance, was just a victim, and a dishonorable victim at that, of the paranoid and ugly majoritarianism of his place and time. Some of the other profilees may have been "right", in Ms. Kennedy's (Onnassis'? Bouvier's?)opinion, but they were not particularly courageous. I think the compiler may have been concerned to show that "famous people are really just plain folks" who quaver and run after a moment of defiance, just like most of the rest of us. Is this part of a ploy to demonstrate that yet another member of yet another politically prominent family is really "just like the rest of us" and therefore deserves the right to "represent" us in high office?
Oh well. At least she didn't claim to have written her "Profiles" herself, as her father did.

Though it is laudable that Caroline Kennedy would want to keep her father's spirit alive by revising the concept of his original book to something more suited to courage in our time, the essays here highlight little known people. Some of their stories are touching or inspiring, and the writing is quite good. However, the book is devoted to liberal politicans, the message being that only liberals show courage. I don't think, for instance, that the men and women serving as rescuers at the world trade center tragedy worried about each other's politics. I think this book is really an attempt to cause schisms and controversies, none of which are constructive in these tenuous times. Great courage is shown by many, but C. Kennedy profiles only the few and only those who suit the political philosphy that the authors wanted to support. Most insulting to me, though, was that only one woman is profiled here. Only one woman has courage, in a world of 3 billion??? And how about the courage shown by political dissidents everywhere, not just in the US? Kennedy couldn't include everyone, but the stories here, though interesting, are only examples of some courage (token female included). These people didn't put their lives on the line, only their comforts. Nor does one incident, even one not performed single handedly, such as James Florio and the gun control bill, merit inclusion in this book, but single incidents are covered as if lifetime achievements. Sorry I read it -- despite the good press, the political bias, the masculine bias, the domestic bias, well, just made me angry.

This book is a compilation of short biographies of the winners of the Profile in Courage Award. It is a group effort, being the work of numerous historians and writers. I found these stories inspiring because many of them illuminate political leaders who took actions they knew would be detrimental to their careers. Yes, most of the award winners have been on the liberal side, but personally I find that a healthy antidote to the sort of "leadership" the mainstream media prefers to applaud these days. And don't forget good old Gerald Ford, whose biography (by Bob Woodward, no less) eloquently makes his case for his pardoning of Richard Nixon. Many readers will disagree with some of the choices for the awards and with some of the conclusions of the authors of these biographies. Nevertheless Profiles in Courage For Our Time is an inspiring effort meant to remind us of the highest qualities we should expect from our leadership.