The Education of Henry Adams records the struggle of Bostonian Henry Adams (1838-1918), in early old age, to come to terms with the dawning 20th century, so different from the world of his youth. It is also a sharp critique of 19th-century educational theory and practice.

Adams explores the incredible events of the 19th century, meditating on his sense of disorientation with the scientific and technological expansion over his lifetime. He reflects on the political and social challenges of the late nineteenth century, rooted in the collapse of traditional values, expectations, and ideals.

The narrative is an extended meditation on the social, technological, political, and intellectual changes that occurred over Adams's lifetime. He concluded that his traditional education failed to help him come to terms with these rapid changes, hence his need for self-education. The book is narrated in the third person and is frequently sarcastic and humorously self-critical.

This autobiography stands as a thoughtful, humane, often tender exploration of himself and a brilliant history of a changing country. Henry Adams gives us a prescient view of the century ahead, contrasting the Romantic ideals of his ancestors with the chaotic world of the future.