Felix begins with the dawn of America, showing how America amassed wealth and political power from the start through wars, assertions of economic might, and the creation of a cultural and philosophical base. The nation began with a political order, derived from our British origins, which enabled our pragmatic culture to take advantage of the vast wealth of a near-virgin continent. Political and economic freedom were paired, authority yielding to both freedoms. Our farmers and businessmen were dreamers, manufacturing realities out of those dreams. Felix's account then makes a point of neoclassical economics as an anvil on which to hammer out a sharper sense of the content of our existence. This book, which demonstrates the author's zest for historical analysis and great story-telling ability, points to the central fact of a rising America—the intensely energizing interaction between polity and economy. The United States is the greatest power in world history, but the rise of another great power, China, is beginning to be increasingly apparent. One trusts that, drawing upon its deep resources, America will remember its history and traditions and continue as a superpower.