'Classic texts fuse style, substance, and significance in a mysterious alchemy. This Companion to Democracy in America reveals how Tocqueville's classic both emerges from and transcends its time: how it continues to inspire opposed ideologies, how it passes into different cultures, and how it still illuminates contemporary concerns with inequality, race, gender, religion, and identity. Superbly edited by Richard Boyd, it is an essential guide to Tocqueville in the 21st century.' Cheryl B. Welch, Harvard University