"A HEROIC SENSE OF HUMAN POSSIBILITY"

MCCAIN, John. Character Is Destiny. Inspiring Stories Every Young Person Should Know and Every Adult Should Remember. New York: Random House, (2005). Large square quarto, original half black and navy paper boards, original dust jacket. $650.

First edition of Senator McCain's moving work on 34 men and women—including Sojourner Truth, Gandhi, Washington, Churchill, Martin Luther King, Jr., Lincoln, Twain, Mandela and da Vinci—whose lives exemplify fine human values, inscribed by McCain on the half title, "To N— & B— To Two Wonderful Young People. Best Wishes, John McCain." A splendid copy.

In his opening to this insightful work, intended for young people adults but rich with insights for all, McCain writes: "I don't believe in destiny… I believe in character… that is all that really passes for destiny. And you choose it." His thoughtful book looks at the inspiring lives of 34 men and women, each linked to a core virtue. Included are figures such as Churchill, George Washington, Mother Theresa, Lincoln, Gandhi, Sojourner Truth, Pat Tillman, Martin Luther King, Jr., Darwin, Thomas More, and Joan of Arc. On publication, Character is Destiny won praise for McCain's sense of "a heroic sense of human possibility… the capacity of human beings to will themselves to transcend their egos" (Washington Post). When we are born, he writes, "we want what we want, and we want it now. But as we grow, we develop our second nature. Our character." Character Is Destiny is "about that second nature." Written with McCain's trusted aide and frequent co-author Mark Salter. "First Edition" on copyright page. Issued in blue dust jackets (this copy) and red dust jackets: no priority established.

A fine copy.