President John F. Kennedy and his brother, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, collaborated on a daybook project in which they would jot down passages from their reading that moved them in some way. RFK continued the project after his brother's death in 1963, and would frequently use the quotations in it as source material for his speeches.

Maxwell Taylor Kennedy, Robert's youngest son, has drawn upon that journal, as well as material from his father's speeches, to create a unique portrait of RFK's spirit and character. In addition to his own powerful testimony to his passion for social justice, we learn that Robert Kennedy was able to learn as much about the meaning of freedom and justice from Albert Camus as he was from Thomas Jefferson or Abraham Lincoln. The concern with civil rights, pacifism, and America's role in the international arena (among other issues) that permeate Kennedy's thoughts are as relevant today as they were in the 1960s. Make Gentle the Life of This World is a stirring reminder of one of this century's strongest political visions.


From Library Journal
Kennedy's youngest son, only three years old at the time of the assassination, here compiles from his father's long-closed private journal the phrases that helped move a nation and the quotes from the ancient Greek philosophers, poets, and many contemporary figures who inspired RFK. Chapters are arranged by issues that were most important to Kennedy and remain timely today?the responsibilities of citizens to their government, the tragedy of poverty in the midst of plenty, the importance of dissent in a democratic society, and work as the solution for the welfare crises. The book's haunting photos convey Kennedy's spirit as successfully as the words. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
Thirty years after Bobby Kennedy's assassination, his youngest son offers a sort of chapbook: a collection of brief observations--by RFK and authors he cherished--about living and seeking a better world, the duties of citizenship, and the sources of nurturance and hope, high principles and practical realities. Drawing on the daybook of quotations that RFK (like his older brother, Jack) maintained, plus speeches, letters, biographies, and private collections (e.g., a selection of well-loved Camus quotations), Kennedy fils (born in 1965) produces an impressionistic, intellectual portrait of the father he barely knew. Most appropriate for libraries where interest in the Kennedy family--or in the New York senator's 1968 presidential campaign--remains strong. Mary Carroll


From Kirkus Reviews
This collection of brief passages drawn from Robert Kennedys speeches and his journal, along with quotes Kennedy had copied from the works of favored authors, drawn together by his youngest son, is too slight and episodic to serve as a useful survey of Kennedys thought. But the short passages do remind one of how the Kennedy brothers raised public rhetoric to a level now not often reached, as in a speech on welfare reform: We must admit in ourselves that our own childrens future cannot be built on the misfortunes of others. We must recognize that this short life can neither be ennobled or enriched by hatred or revenge. Our lives on this planet are too short and the work to be done too great to let this spirit flourish any longer in our land. Black- and-white period photographs add an appropriately nostalgic touch. A slender, handsomely designed book, clearly intended for browsers and gift givers. -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.


Book Description
Throughout the 1960s, Robert F. Kennedy kept a private journal of favorite quotations, recording the philosophies of great leaders and thinkers throughout history. Thirty years after his father's tragic death, Maxwell Taylor Kennedy has culled the highlights of this journal, along with moving portions of Robert Kennedy's most memorable speeches, to create an inspiring, immortal voice for his father's vision. With passages on freedom, democracy, civil rights, education, justice, tragedy, and peace, Make Gentle the Life of This World speaks powerfully to America's unstoppable drive for a better world. Complemented by poignant photographs of Robert Kennedy, this is an extraordinary tribute to an extraordinary hero, whose dream for America has never been extinguished.

FROM THE PUBLISHER