全书采取列传形式,每个入选者独立成篇。从美国建国初期到后“9·11”时代,从爱默生到布鲁克斯,集结了四十余位知识界的精英人物。其中不但有常见的作家、记者、学者,还有科学家和教育家,乃至企业家、电视节目主持人、人权运动领袖和环保主义者。该书对美国知识分子的活动及相关领域的独特的揭示,大大扩展了我们的视野。 The book takes the form of biography, each selected independently into articles. From the early days after the founding of the United States to the post-9-11 era, from Emerson to Brooks, the elites assembled more than 40 intellectuals. Among them not only are common writers, journalists, academics, but also scientists and educators, as well as entrepreneurs, television presenters, leaders of human rights movements and environmentalists. The book’s unique revelation of the activities of the American intellectuals and related fields has greatly expanded our horizons.