Lessons and Legacies

A provocative collection of original essays from 13 retiring U.S. senators, detailing their reasons for leaving public service and their assessment of the future of America. Diverse issues are explored in these historic documents, but many of the addresses resonate with a common plea for renewal of the spirit of compromise and civility in American politics. }This remarkable collection of original personal essays by the thirteen U.S. senators retiring in 1996 is a historic and intimate look into how our government worksand isnt workingtoday. Not in our lifetimes have so many senators voluntarily left office all at once., among them our most able and distinguished legislators. Written in the spirit of Dwight D. Eisenhowers historic farewell address of 1961, these essays draw on the personal experiences and interests of the senators, who speak frankly to the country about the most important problems we face as we move toward the twenty-first century. Their forceful views, especially on the decline of civility and the collapse of the center in our politics, convey a sense of urgency that Americans cannot afford to ignore. }