• His works: • Divorced in America, 1974 • Ambition,1980 • Plausible Prejudices, 1985 • The Middle of My Tether • Family Territory
Introdution to the Text
• On the other hand, examples of ambition also include people working for the good of others such as Martin Luther King and Ghandi. Epstein argues that far from being an evil, ambition is in fact a virtue and necessary for the functioning of society. He argues that ambition involves much more than just “dreams of glory” — it also includes the work and discipline to make those dreams come true. Ambition, says Epstein, is critical for both great leaders and the more humble members of the middle class. Rather than being an evil, ambition is something that brings progress and life to society.
• He is a teacher in the acclaimed prose, writing fiction, as well as literature classes on Henry James, Willa Cather, and Joseph Conrad. He won the 2019 harold Washington Literary Award for the most prominent man or women of letters in Chicago.
• Perhaps one of the cleverest writers of our times, Epstein specializes in the personal or familiar essay.
• His insightful and penetrating observations and wry prose combine to make him one of the most enjoyable contemporary authors. He has also written short fiction, as well as a number of works of literary criticism.
Introduction to the Author
• Joseph Epstein(1937-), noted essayist,short story author and novelist, was born in Chicago and grew up in Rogers Park. He then attended the University of Chicago and is now a promineng member of the literature faculty at Northwestern University.

The structure of the text
• Part 1 (para.1-3): None of this seems a sufficient cause for driving ambition under the counter.
• Part 2 ( para.4-5):What is the worst that can be said about ambition.
• Is ambition good or bad? There are those who argue that ambition is often evil; that “dreams of glory” ( in the words of the author) too often result in selfishness, rivalry, corruption, and a general lack of moral standards. If you are truly ambitious, then your goal — whether fame, wealth, or power — comes before everything else, including your family, other people, and even your own moral values. Hitler is one well-known example of the evils of ambition, and one needn’t look far to find other examples among both public figures and perhaps even our own acquaintances.
• Part 3 ( para.6-7): There is a heavy note of hypocrisy in this.
• Part 4 ( para.8-11): To discourage ambition is to discourage dreams of greatness.