This book is the personal account of William Bennett who formerly served in the U.S. government as the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Secretary of Education, and Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. The volume suggests what is right and what is wrong with education in the United States; discusses the heroes, villains, and shirkers in the war against drugs; analyzes why race relations are bad and how they can be improved; why social and political institutions have deteriorated; how to combat "politically correct" thinking on university campuses; and gives an assessment of the failures of modern liberalism. The book addresses difficulties Bennett confronted in office, ranging from government bureaucracy and political lobbies, to school administrators and academics, to the press and Congress. The book examines the role of religion in civic life, the importance of character and culture, and the contentious debate over affirmative action and quotas. The volume also chronicles the positive encounters with teachers, principals, law enforcement officers, and private citizens who have made a difference--and with public figures including Ronald Reagan and George Bush, Edward Kennedy and Jesse Helms, Clarence Thomas and Jesse Jackson. (RJC)