Susan Griffin, winner of a MacArthur grant and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, is widely recognized as one of the most important feminist thinkers of our day. Griffin has been broadly praised for her erudition and depth, and for her poetic and evocative writing style. In this unique and timely exploration of American history, which emphasizes the inner lives of pivotal historical figures, she demonstrates that ultimately democracy is not only a system of governance, but, in its fullest form, represents a revolution in consciousness — one that is still unfolding today.

Beginning with an exploration of the life and thought of Thomas Jefferson, Griffin identifies two battling aspects of the American psyche: the psychology of empire, characterized by a desire for safety, order, and control, and the psychology of democracy, characterized by equality, empathy, and truth telling. According to Griffin, these two psychologies have been battling each other for supremacy from our country's earliest inception. Griffin's probing exploration of American history is interwoven with beautifully wrought passages of personal memoir exploring her upbringing and political awakenings in 1950s California.

Griffin argues convincingly that the birth of American democracy signaled a fundamental shift in our most deeply held values and understandings. Yet she provocatively suggests that the work of establishing democracy in this country has not been completed. We are still wrestling with the promise of democracy today and, as American citizens, are deeply impacted by the ongoing struggle between tyranny and freedom.

Griffin, winner of a MacArthur grant and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, demonstrates that ultimately democracy is not only a system of governance, but, in its fullest form, represents a revolution in consciousness that is still unfolding today.

Susan Griffin has won dozens of awards for her work as a feminist writer, poet, essayist, playwright, and filmmaker. She is the author of more than twenty books including A Chorus of Stones, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. She is the recipient of an Emmy, a MacArthur grant, and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. She is a frequent contributor to Ms. magazine, the New York Times Book Review, and numerous other publications. She lectures widely and is a frequent guest on national and local radio programs. She lives in Berkeley, California.