کتاب Light and Liberty  Reflections on the Pursuit of Happiness Original Were Thomas Jefferson alive to read this book he would recognize every sentence every elegant turn of phrase every lofty beautifully expressed idea Indeed every word in the book is his In an astonishing feat of editing Eric S Petersen has culled the entirety of Thomas Jefferson s published works to fashion thirtyfour original essays on themes ranging from patriotism and liberty to hope humility and gratitude The result is a lucid inspiring distillation of the wisdom of one of America s greatest political thinkers  From his personal motto Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God to his resounding discourse on life liberty and the pursuit of happiness in the Declaration of Independence Jefferson defined the essential truth of the American spirit In the essays that Petersen has crafted from letters speeches and public documents Jefferson s unique moral philosophy and vision shine through Among the hundreds of magnificent sentences gathered in this volume here are Jefferson s pronouncements on  Gratitude I have but one system of ethics for men and for nations to be grateful to be faithful to all engagements and under all circumstances to be open and generous  Religion A concern purely between our God and our consciences  America s national character It is part of the American character to consider nothing as desperate to surmount every difficulty with resolution and contrivance  Public debt We shall all consider ourselves unauthorized to saddle posterity with our debts and morally bound to pay them ourselves  War I abhor war and view it as the greatest scourge of mankind  In stately measured cadences these thirtyfour essays provide timeless guidance on leading a spiritually fulfilling life Light and Liberty is a triumphant work of supreme eloquence as uplifting today as when Jefferson first set these immortal sentences on paper