The Education of Henry Adams records the struggle of Bostonian Henry Adams to come to terms with the dawning 20th century. It also sharply critiques 19th century educational theory and practice. Adams first privately circulated copies of a limited edition printed at his own expense. Commercial publication had to his death in 1918 whereupon it won the 1919 Pulitzer Prize. The Modern Library placed it 1st in a list of the top 100 English-language nonfiction books of the twentieth century. The Education of Henry Adams is a record of Adams' introspection than of his deeds, an extended meditation on the social, technological, political, and intellectual changes that occurred over Adams' life. Adams concluded that his traditional education failed to help him come to terms with these rapid changes; hence his need for self-education. Henry Brooks Adams was an American journalist, historian, academic and novelist. He is best-known for his autobiographical book, The Education of Henry Adams. He was a member of the Adams political family.