Institutions. His books include Political Philosophy, Modernity and Its Discontents, and Reclaiming Patriotism in an Age of Extremes.
Smith applied the “Page 99 Test” to his latest book, On Statesmanship, and shared the following:
Page 99 comes approximately midway through a chapter titled “The Art of the Statesman.” Here I discuss the importance of character (ethos) for the statesman and how character is important for establishing trust between a political leader and his/her followers. Page 99 contains a vivid illustration of this point by means of a humorous anecdote about George Washington at the Constitutional Convention. Readers will love this story!Learn more about On Statesmanship at the Yale University Press website.
I think the Page 99 Test gives some insight into the book as a whole. My most important point is that statesmen are the educators of their peoples. They are their nations’ philosopher-kings. They provide people with the language they need to imagine what they might become. When Lincoln spoke of “the better angels of our nature,” or when FDR implored “fear not,” when JFK said, “ask not,” or when Ronald Regan spoke of a “city on a hill,” they were finding a way to connect people to their pasts and offer a glimpse of the future.
My favorite part of the book deals with whether it is possible to educate statesmen. Great leaders have been great readers of their national traditions and some have written memorable histories and autobiographies. What should the statesmen of the future be reading and what should they know? I have some thoughts but I will leave it to readers to come up with their own suggestions.
The Page 99 Test: Reclaiming Patriotism in an Age of Extremes.
--Marshal Zeringue