I have lived all but one year of a century.
My century started on March 23, 1920, and upon reflection, I believe it has seen more important changes and developments both good and bad than occurred in any other ten centuries of human existence. As world leaders and historians have always told us, in determining what we should expect and do in the future, we must be aware of the events and occurrences of the past that collectively determined how we got where we are today. In this story of my life, I will explain some of the history I remember that explains just how we got here. Except for specific dates, which I secured from the World Almanac, this dissertation comes entirely from my own memory.
"Neal Smith - farmer, soldier, lawyer, politician - is a state treasure. He has long worked to preserve Iowa's past, protect Iowa's present and promote Iowa's future. At age 98, he is a walking history book as well as a profound thinker about the future of Iowa, the nation and the world, which this new memoir shows." Michael Gartner Pulitzer Prize winning writer and former president of NBC News