The Wisdom Of Eleanor Roosevelt

The men and women who shaped our world—in their own words. The Wisdom Library invites you on a journey through the lives and works of the world’s greatest thinkers and leaders. Compiled by scholars, this series presents excerpts from the most important and revealing writings of the most remarkable minds of all time. THE WISDOM OF ELEANOR ROOSEVELT “We must join in an effort to use all knowledge for the good of all human beings. When we do that we shall have nothing to fear.” John F. Kennedy described Eleanor Roosevelt as “one of the great ladies in the history of this country.” A role model for generations of women, Mrs. Roosevelt made an indelible mark as First Lady. Although painfully shy, she never hesitated to publicly champion the poor, minorities, women and other victims of discrimination. She was among the twentieth century’s most active civil rights pioneers, compelling her husband to sign a series of Executive Orders barring discrimination in the administration of various New Deal projects, and supporting desegregation of the armed forces. Her groundbreaking column, “My Day,” ran in national newspapers for twenty-six years. During her tenure as U.S. delegate to the United Nations, she was the principal author of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She also maintained close friendships and correspondences with notable statespeople, including her husband’s successor, Harry S. Truman, who declared her “First Lady of the World.” With revealing excerpts from her letters and published work, The Wisdom of Eleanor Roosevelt delves into the passions and concerns that drove this exceptional humanitarian. Here is a fascinating and essential tribute to a woman ahead of her time, whose actions truly conveyed her words, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

Experience the timeless wit and wisdom of Eleanor Roosevelt in this annotated collection of candid advice columns that she wrote for more than twenty years. In 1941, Eleanor Roosevelt embarked on a new career as an advice columnist. She had already transformed the role of first lady with her regular press conferences, her activism on behalf of women, minorities, and youth, her lecture tours, and her syndicated newspaper column. When Ladies Home Journal offered her an advice column, she embraced it as yet another way for her to connect with the public. “If You Ask Me” quickly became a lifeline for Americans of all ages. Over the twenty years that Eleanor wrote her advice column, no question was too trivial and no topic was out of bounds. Practical, warm-hearted, and often witty, Eleanor’s answers were so forthright her editors included a disclaimer that her views were not necessarily those of the magazines or the Roosevelt administration. Asked, for example, if she had any Republican friends, she replied, “I hope so.” Queried about whether or when she would retire, she said, “I never plan ahead.” As for the suggestion that federal or state governments build public bomb shelters, she considered the idea “nonsense.” Covering a wide variety of topics—everything from war, peace, and politics to love, marriage, religion, and popular culture—these columns reveal Eleanor Roosevelt’s warmth, humanity, and timeless relevance.

Born to one of the wealthiest families in New York City, Eleanor Roosevelt seemed destined for a sedate and comfortable life. Instead, she fell in love with her fifth cousin and was flung into the highest levels of American politics, culminating in Franklin's unprecedented four-term presidency. Before her, no first lady had ever held a press conference or written a syndicated column. Eleanor spoke at national conventions and often made appearances on her husband's behalf. Her own influence lasted years beyond his death. She advocated for human rights, worked with the United Nations, and supported what later became the civil rights movement. The fascinating quotes in this collection are the words of an articulate, honest, and thoughtful woman. Of war, she said, "I hope the day will come when all that inventing and mechanical genius will be used for other purposes." In her column for Ladies' Home Journal, she wrote, "Freedom from want means being sure that if you want to work, you can get a job and that job will pay you sufficient to give you and your family a decent standard of living." Organized by topic--government, money, art, education, class, relationships, emotions--these quotations reveal the personal thoughts Roosevelt shared in letters and conversations alongside the strong opinions she expressed in speeches and interviews, giving evidence to her character and her beliefs. Her words continue to resonate today.

A candid and insightful look at an era and a life through the eyes of one of the most remarkable Americans of the twentieth century, First Lady and humanitarian Eleanor Roosevelt. The daughter of one of New York’s most influential families, niece of Theodore Roosevelt, and wife of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt witnessed some of the most remarkable decades in modern history, as America transitioned from the Gilded Age, the Progressive Era, and the Depression to World War II and the Cold War. A champion of the downtrodden, Eleanor drew on her experience and used her role as First Lady to help those in need. Intimately involved in her husband’s political life, from the governorship of New York to the White House, Eleanor would eventually become a powerful force of her own, heading women’s organizations and youth movements, and battling for consumer rights, civil rights, and improved housing. In the years after FDR’s death, this inspiring, controversial, and outspoken leader would become a U.N. Delegate, chairman of the Commission on Human Rights, a newspaper columnist, Democratic party activist, world-traveler, and diplomat devoted to the ideas of liberty and human rights. This single volume biography brings her into focus through her own words, illuminating the vanished world she grew up, her life with her political husband, and the post-war years when she worked to broaden cooperation and understanding at home and abroad. The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt includes 16 pages of black-and-white photos.

This illustrated, first of its kind collection of excerpts from Eleanor Roosevelt's newspaper columns, radio talks, speeches, and correspondence speaks directly to the challenges we face today. Acclaimed for her roles in politics and diplomacy, first lady Eleanor Roosevelt was also a prolific author, journalist, lecturer, broadcaster, educator, and public personality. Using excerpts from her books, columns, articles, press conferences, speeches, radio talks, and correspondence, Eleanor Roosevelt: In Her Words tracks her contributions from the 1920s, when she entered journalism and public life; through the White House years, when she campaigned for racial justice, the labor movement, and "the forgotten woman;" to the postwar era, when she served at the United Nations and shaped the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Selections touch on Roosevelt's early entries in women's magazines ("Ten Rules for Success in Marriage"), her insights on women in politics ("Women Must Learn to Play the Game As Men Do"), her commentary on World War II ("What We Are Fighting For"), her work for civil rights ("The Four Equalities"), her clash with Soviet delegates at the UN ("These Same Old Stale Charges"), and her advice literature ("If You Ask Me"). Surprises include her unique preparation for leadership, the skill with which she defied critics and grasped authority, her competitive stance as a professional, and the force of her political messages to modern readers. Scorning the "America First" mindset, Eleanor Roosevelt underlined the interdependence of people and of nations. Eleanor Roosevelt: In Her Words illuminates her achievement as a champion of civil rights, human rights, and democratic ideals.

From one of the world’s most celebrated and admired public figures, a wise and intimate book on how to get the most of out life. Courage is more exhilarating than fear and in the long run it is easier. We do not have to become heroes overnight. Just a step at a time, meeting each new thing that comes up, seeing it is not as dreadful as it appeared, discovering we have the strength to stare it down. One of the most beloved figures of the twentieth century, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt remains a role model for a life well lived. At the age of seventy-six, Roosevelt penned this simple guide to living a fuller life—a powerful volume of enduring commonsense ideas and heartfelt values. Offering her own philosophy on living, she takes readers on a path to compassion, confidence, maturity, civic stewardship, and more. Her keys to a fulfilling life? Learning to Learn • Fear—the Great Enemy • The Uses of Time • The Difficult Art of Maturity • Readjustment is Endless • Learning to Be Useful• The Right to Be an Individual • How to Get the Best Out of People •Facing Responsibility • How Everyone Can Take Part in Politics • Learning to Be a Public Servant A crucial precursor to better-living guides like Mark Nepo’s The Book of Awakening or Robert Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, as well as political memoirs such as John F. Kennedy’s Profiles in Courage, the First Lady’s illuminating manual is a window into Eleanor Roosevelt herself and a trove of timeless wisdom that resonates in any era.

Examines Eleanor Roosevelt's life as a professional woman, a wife and mother, and, finally, a woman who illuminated her times and exemplified the complexities of womanhood in the twentieth century.