About

Originally published in 1942, And Keep Your Powder Dry was written by Margaret Mead in an attempt to use her skill as a social scientist to help Americans understand their collective strengths and weaknesses in an effort to win the war and the peace, by describing to them the American character and how it develops. This blog is a conversational introduction to the book, not an academic exercise or professional endeavor.

I can, and at times will, talk about what is problematic about Mead’s assumptions or conclusions, but I hope you’ll give the book a read without getting caught up in all that. You’ll find a book that makes you feel warmly and think deeply about America, and one that is timely nearly 80 years after it was written.

And Keep Your Powder Dry was most recently published in 2000 by Berghahn Books and copyrighted by The Institute for Intercultural Studies, which closed its doors in 2009. I am copying portions of the book with permission from Mary Catherine Bateson, Mead’s daughter. Please do not interpret her permission as endorsement; my interpretations are my own and Mead’s ideas and words are her own.

Please, find yourself a new or used copy of Margaret Mead’s And Keep You Powder Dry and join me in reading the book. If you can afford and desire a new copy, please consider ordering direct from the publisher. If you can’t get your hands on a copy, read this blog anyway. You’ll get some highlights.

—Yvette Yescas