Ambition: The Secret Passion
Worth buying if: You enjoy essay collections that mix memoir, criticism, and cultural observation.
Skip it if: You want a prescriptive self-help guide with step-by-step strategies.
Exact edition: Edition shown · ISBN-13 9780929587189. The Amazon link uses this ISBN, so the product page should open to the edition shown here.
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Summary
Ambition: The Secret Passion collects essays exploring ambition’s psychological and social dimensions, blending personal anecdote, literary reference, and cultural criticism across varied subjects.
Why this book now
Epstein’s long-standing voice on character and culture offers a timeless lens on striving and status that still resonates in debates about success and value.
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Best for readers who...
Good fit if you want...
- You enjoy essay collections that mix memoir, criticism, and cultural observation.
- You appreciate Joseph Epstein’s urbane, conversational prose on character and ambition.
- You want a prescriptive self-help guide with step-by-step strategies.
- You prefer strictly academic or heavily footnoted scholarship.
- You need the newest edition, freshest examples, or the most current framing.
Decided it fits?
Exact edition: Edition shown · ISBN-13 9780929587189
Worth buying if: You enjoy essay collections that mix memoir, criticism, and cultural observation.
Skip it if: You want a prescriptive self-help guide with step-by-step strategies.
Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.
Reader guide
Cues to help you decide faster.
Reading commitment
Balanced Moderate time
At 312 pages, this 1989 essay collection asks for a steady, reflective read—dip into individual essays or read straight through over several sittings.
What stands out here
This Ivan R. Dee 1989 edition foregrounds Epstein’s voice on ambition through a curated set of essays that combine personal anecdote and cultural critique.
Best way to approach it
Approach the book essay by essay: savor Epstein’s anecdotes and references, pause to reflect on provocative judgments, and return to individual pieces when desired.
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Exact edition: ISBN-13 9780929587189
Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.