Gould finished his introduction just days before succumbing to cancer, a tragic loss for American letters. This polymath and superb essayist chose a powerful group of essays for this post 9/11 collection.  Featuring some of my favorite writers commenting on personal biography (Cooper,  Franzen, Kolen, Mayblum, Pinckney, Wolfson), illness, the meaning of 9/11 (Halberstam and Hitchens), and social issues (Vidal, Wills), it’s a terrific collection to raise social consciousness as well as provide humor and information.  These essays meet Montaigne’s goals of ‘to try’ as well as ‘how to live’.  Live with social inuustice, mortality, tragedy both personal and national and family history.