Book excerpt: BOOK SUMMARY OF AMERICAN GREATNESS The theme of this book is a concise history of our country, from Columbus to Reagan. The purpose is to show what made America great. The many people, who were at the right place at the right time, preserved the spirit that made the United States not only free but unknowingly helped it become a great nation. What they said and accomplished should be preserved for all future generation to know and appreciate. It has been chronicled in numerous ways, but bears repeating. As John Dewey said in 1916, “Democracy must be reborn in each generation and education is the midwife.”