Tocqueville travelled across America over nine months in 1831 and 1832. He drew on his observations to produce his two-volume masterpiece, Democracy in America. In the book, Tocqueville characterizes the social, political, religious, and intellectual habits of Americans with such deep understanding that, nearly two centuries later, it’s still foundational reading for the study of politics and sociology. In the words of Harvard political scientist Harvey Mansfield, Democracy in America is “the best book ever written on democracy and the best book ever written on America.”