In just 11 chapters, Eleanor shares with us her own interpretation of the basic philosophy of life. She believes that her basic philosophy is best expressed in the choices one makes daily. She discusses fear, a stumbling block, the great crippler, is something we all face. She stated "Looking back, it strikes me that my childhood and my early youth were one long battle against fear." She realized that "the danger lies in refusing to face the fear, in not daring to come to grips with it. If you fail anywhere along the line it will take away your confidence. You must make yourself succeed every time. YOU MUST DO THE THING YOU THiNK YOU CANNOT DO."

Eleanor also discusses the uses of time, how to be a mature person, readjustment is endless, and learning to be useful. She shares her story of being with Harry Belafonte visiting 2 children's hospitals. "The next afternoon I again saw him give of himself in the same way. Moving among the hospitalized children, making their eyes shine and their faces light with smiles because he gave them a word of encouragement. For a moment the braces or the cradle in which they lay was forgotten. They were well in their bodies because he satisfied their little souls." The remaining chapters in the book are: the right to be an individual; how to get the best out of people; how everyone can take part in politics, learning to be a public servant, and facing responsibility with this quote:

"We all create the person we become by our choices as we go through life.
In a very real sense, by the time we are an adult,
We are the sum total of the choices we have made."

So much in this short book. Such an amazing woman!