George Matthew Adams believed, as a proven lesson through his own experiences, that the difference between a life fully lived and one just endured came down to something stubbornly simple: the will to try.
First published in the early twentieth century, You Can collects the most influential columns that made Adams one of the most widely read voices in America. He writes with empathy and wisdom of an uplifting friend, discussing matters of courage, habit, enthusiasm, and purpose―the ordinary materials from which, he insists, an extraordinary life is built.
What makes Adams’ writing unique is its tone: relaxed, kind, and free of unrealistic promises. He does not flatter or fluster his readers; he encourages them to believe in themselves first, beyond all judgments.

You Can is classic of American moral writing, now revived to guide us through challenging times.