Historian Neil Baldwin wrote this book as what he describes in the book's afterward as "...ten ideal-not the ten ideals-that shaped out country..."
Accordingly, the ideals enumerated and expounded upon concern some important and some lesser known facets of how American came to be. I was hoping for something more like THE ten ideals that shaped America. Somewhat interesting, nonetheless.
Basically the ten chapters concern the idea-formers and less about the idea itself, although room for both is made.
Here's the 10 people mentioned:
