In Team of Rivals historian Doris Kearns Goodwin provides fresh insights into Abraham Lincoln’s leadership style and his deep understanding of human behavior. She examines Lincoln’s political genius and his relationships with three men he selected for his cabinet, all of whom were his opponents for the Republican nomination in 1860: William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, and Edward Bates. These men, all accomplished and nationally known, originally disdained Lincoln for his backwoods upbringing and lack of experience, and were shocked and humiliated at losing to this relatively obscure Illinois lawyer. Yet Lincoln not only convinced them to join his administration, he ultimately gained their admiration and respect as well. Team of Rivals shows how Lincoln brilliantly transformed his three better-born, better-educated rivals into allies. Lincoln may have been “the indispensable ingredient of the Civil War,” but the contributions and talents of Seward, Chase, and Bates were invaluable to Lincoln and they played key roles in keeping the nation intact. This brilliant multiple biography is centered on Lincoln’s mastery of men and how it shaped the most significant presidency in the nation’s history. Had Lincoln not possessed the wisdom and confidence to select and work with the best people, he could not have led the nation through one of its darkest periods.