Throughout history, from the time of Socrates to our own modern age, the human race has sought the answers to fundamental questions of life: Who are we? Why are we here? The Seekers in history of our great Western heritage of ideas, told through the lives of the speakers who still speak to us: from Moses and Aristotle and Plato through Thucydides, Thomas Moore, Machiavelli, and Voltaire to Karl Marx, Carlyle, Emerson, and Einstein -- to mention only a few.

Daniel Boorstin once again shows that his ability to present challenging ideas, coupled with sharp portraits of great writers and thinkers, remains unparalleled.