Now more than ever, we long for heroes and have too few. Nelson Mandela, who died in 2013 at the age of ninety-five, is the closest thing the world has had to a secular saint. He liberated a country from a system of violent prejudice and united oppressorand oppressed in a way that had never been done before. In these pages, Stengel recounts the moments when Mandela was tested and shares the wisdom he learned: why courage is more than the absence of fear; why we should keep our rivals close; why the answer is not always either/or but often "both" and more. Like The last lecture and Tuesdays with Morrie, this uplifting book offers us an opportunity to reflect on what really matters. It captures the spirit of this extraordinary man - warrior, martyr, husband, statesman, and moral leader - and spurs us to look within ourselves, reconsider the things we take for granted, and contemplate the legacy we'll leave behind.