We have always heard that great writers are thinkers and philosophers of a very high calibre. This is not surprising, as long as we see literature as a complete face of life in its different and varied forms. In this book - whose articles and speeches the translator chose with great care - we see Tolstoy as a thinker, philosopher, and social analyst, tracking facts, relying on history, and proceeding with soaring visions, starting from well-established axioms and ending up with sometimes frightening convictions. For fans of Tolstoy''s novels, this book will be a different view into the world of this great man, who occupied - and continues to occupy - the minds of many, and maintains a high position for himself in the global library.