Drawing on thirty-five years of experience, and involvement in groundbreaking museums, Gurian presents twenty-two essays that explore the possibilities for making museums more central and relevant to society. Both students and professional in the field will find this of immense interest. 'Reading this book is like watching a time-lapse film, probably animated, of museums as seen from the inside. Gurian has collected her essays and past speeches into five broad discussions, each spanning many years and each revealing, not just philosophy, but practical actions.' - Journal of Management '[Heumann Gurian is] an indispensible and eloquent champion of aligning museum practice with museum rhetoric... this is a rich vein of thoughtful analysis and prescription, rooted in the realities of museum practice and illuminated with telling anecdotes and lessons from Gurian's career.' - Curator: The Museum Journal '[Gurian] represents the social and moral conscience of the museum community ... The book is very much an invitation to a younger generation of practitioners to reflect on where museums have been and where they might be going, with the express desire that they might pick up the mantle and continue to fight the battle. It is an invitation to which we all should respond.' - Journal of the National Museum of Australia 'An excellent historical review... an important museological record.' - Visitor Studies