public opinion

Attempts to unearth the historic Benjamin Franklin from the images that have accumulated since the publication of his "Autobiography" in 1794, presenting him as the most benevolent and philanthropic of the Founders, unconcerned with the accumulation of wealth, conflicted over his place in the world, and a latecomer to the idea of American freedom.

Examines the cultural impact of the Constitution on the United States--its place in the public consciousness and its role as a symbol in American life.

The author discusses his visits to contemporary Dachau where he traveled in an attempt to discover how the people of the town live with the memories and the legacy of the death camp, and tells the story of Martin Zaidenstadt, an eighty-seven-year-old Holocaust survivor who, for years, has kept a daily vigil at the camp's crematorium.

Explores the controversy over media bias, discussing the history of the American media, events that have shaped the issue, and each side of the debate.

Explores modern Americans' views about war, addressing both sides of the issue and discussing how those views have been influenced by other aspects of pop culture.