Uncommon People I Have Known

The title and subtitle say a great deal about the character of this book. These are stories about people who inevitably stand out in a crowd for their personal attributes, their ethical standards, the ways in which they have coped with great problems, and their remarkable achievements. Significantly, fourteen of the sixteen stories in this book are about people who have in some way contributed to better government. Several have worked directly in government, others have been teachers, and still others have found ways to make contributions. Not all the stories are about people in the U.S. The two stories from Brazil involve people who stayed at home and did their good work there; in the other two instances, already blossoming careers at home were ended by extreme governmental changes. In all cases, however, these are people who must be admired for their extreme dedication to the highest ideals of service. In effect, this book can be considered a primer on government that works. The two whose stories did not directly concern government contributed mightily to a better society. One was a highly productive author, who, in later years¿ concentrated on children's books and wrote more than 50 of them. The other pioneered a wholly different journalistic undertaking, the city-regional magazine. Today these publications are found throughout the country and are distinguished by their design quality and their commitment to the communities they serve.