From Booklist
To emphasize the scope and balance of her selection of reformers, the book begins with four subject lists: social reformers by date of birth, by gender, by ethnicity, and by major focus of activity. The gender breakdown includes 20 women and 16 men, while in terms of ethnicity, the book includes eight African Americans, two Asian Americans, two Native Americans, two Hispanics, and 23 European Americans. The major focuses include six abolitionists, 20 civil or minority rights activists, nine labor rights activists, seven social reformers, nine women's rights activists, and 11 "freedom of conscience" activists. Some of the reformers appear in more than one category.
The profiles are arranged alphabetically by surname (William Apess to Minoru Yasui). The birth and death dates for each activist are given, as well as a brief abstract summarizing the significance of the reformer's life and activities. A photo or illustration of each individual follows. A lengthy essay puts the reformer's life in perspective, discusses and analyzes his or her activities and puts them in the context of the times, and assesses the individual's place in American history. The essays are followed by a list of references used by the author in compiling the profile.
Marching to a Different Drummer will be a valuable addition to academic, public, and high school libraries interested in building their resources on some of the unsung heroes of American history.
Review
“Berson has added breadth and depth to the underdeveloped corpus of biography on American reformers.”–
“You will probably recognize only a few of the 35 names whose biographical sketches appear in these pages, but that's the idea. Berson devotes this interesting volume to the achievements of persons she calls dedicated deviants. She includes contributors to such areas as infant care, racism and segregation, sweatshop labor, and freedom of conscience. It is wholesome for young people to learn that persons of both sexes, from groups often ignored when credit is given--persons nobody has heard of--have made important contributions. Highly Recommended.”–
“This collection of brief studies of 35 individuals demonstrates how heroes and heroines come in many sizes--often unrecognized by themselves and by others--and should be remembered for their accomplishments. Berson gives brief but full studies of the individuals, of the social setting, and of the way these "dedicated deviants," as she calls them, marched to their own drum-beat through life.”–
“A bold and candid look at those who have dared break company with the conventional, the traditional, and stand for values and causes only later embraced by the rest of us, who have learned to be far more cautious, if not fearful--a book about heroism, really: its many aspects.”–
“Robin Berson has rounded up dozens of dissenters, mavericks, and reformers from mostly obscure sources to give us this immensely readable collection of profiles. Her book will help many to live better lives than they thought possible.”–
