This collection of brief passages drawn from Robert Kennedy's 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 Kennedy's 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 children's 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.