To what extent does a person's own success result in social transformation? This book offers 100 answers, providing thought-provoking examples of how American culture was shaped within a crucial time period by individuals whose lives and ideas were major agents of change. 100 People Who Changed 20th-Century America provides a two-volume encyclopedia of the individuals whose contributions to society made the 20th century what it was. Comprising contributions from 20 academics and experts in their field, the thought-provoking essays examine the men and women who have shaped the modern American cultural experience—change agents who defined their time period as a result of their talent, imagination, and enterprise. Organized chronologically by the subjects' birthdates, the essays are written to be accessible to the general reader yet provide in-depth information for scholars, ensuring that the work will appeal to many audiences.

To what extent does a person's own success result in social transformation? This book offers 100 answers, providing thought-provoking examples of how American culture was shaped within a crucial time period by individuals whose lives and ideas were major agents of change. 100 People Who Changed 20th-Century America provides a two-volume encyclopedia of the individuals whose contributions to society made the 20th century what it was. Comprising contributions from 20 academics and experts in their field, the thought-provoking essays examine the men and women who have shaped the modern American cultural experience—change agents who defined their time period as a result of their talent, imagination, and enterprise. Organized chronologically by the subjects' birthdates, the essays are written to be accessible to the general reader yet provide in-depth information for scholars, ensuring that the work will appeal to many audiences.

Short biographies of American personalities.

A hundred years ago, any soapbox orator who called for women's suffrage, laws protecting the environment, an end to lynching, or a federal minimum wage was considered a utopian dreamer or a dangerous socialist. Now we take these ideas for granted -- because the radical ideas of one generation are often the common sense of the next. We all stand on the shoulders of earlier generations of radicals and reformers who challenged the status quo of their day. Unfortunately, most Americans know little of this progressive history. It isn't taught in most high schools. You can't find it on the major television networks. In popular media, the most persistent interpreter of America's radical past is Glenn Beck, who teaches viewers a wildly inaccurate history of unions, civil rights, and the American Left. The 100 Greatest Americans of the 20th Century, a colorful and witty history of the most influential progressive leaders of the twentieth century and beyond, is the perfect antidote.

If you had to select 100 Americans who most affected life in the 20th century, who would you choose? Millenium 2000---20th Century America: 100 Influential People takes a look at 100 Americans who greatly influenced life during the century that brought the United States to the world's center stage, a century that has been called the "American century." From Woodrow Wilson, Martin Luther King Jr., and Jane Addams to Frank Lloyd Wright, Ella Fitzgerald, and the Wright Brothers, this group includes leaders from all sectors of American life. A short biography offers detail on the successes, breakthroughs, and occasional failures of these 100 luminaries. This thought-provoking look at 20th century America is sure to be reviewed, discussed, and debated as we approach the next 100 years.

Here is a book that will surely spark a lively debate. Who are the hundred most influential religious and political leaders, artists, scientists, and adventurers of all time? How is it even possible to construct such a list? Now, the editors of LIFE comb history, compare notes and dive in. Find out who makes the cut: King Tut or Cleopatra? Thomas Jefferson or George Washington; The Rolling Stones or The Beatles; Steve Jobs or Bill Gates. This is a look at history told through its most charismatic and fascinating characters. It is also full of fun facts, tidbits, arguments and rarely seen pictures, and will appeal to curious minds, young and old alike.