In these searching lectures, Theodore Roosevelt insists that ideals matter only when they can be lived. He rejects hollow moralizing, especially when adults preach sacrifice to the young while failing to practice it themselves, and he argues that ethics must govern the whole person—Sunday and weekday, private and public, home and business alike. The true test of character, he says, begins in the family, where decent spouses, parents, and children form the basis of citizenship. Roosevelt treats wealth with equal realism. Money is necessary up to the point of decent support, but beyond that it should never outrank character, service, or spiritual strength. Society must stop idolizing millionaires and learn to honor statesmen, soldiers, writers, scientists, artists, and public benefactors instead. He condemns both envy and servility toward the rich, while also demanding laws and public opinion strong enough to punish the successful scoundrel as well as the obvious fraud. He calls for realizable ideals, firm discipline at home, and a reverent appreciation of the Bible, especially the King James Version, as a shaping force in Western moral life. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.