Bookended by 9/11 at the beginning and an epic financial meltdown at the end, the first decade of this century will surely go down as one of the most difficult in American history. We were plagued by a series of catastrophes and major missteps, from the convoluted presidential election in 2000, to the invasion of Iraq, to the devastation of Katrina as well as all manner of financial shenanigans such as Enron, the tragedy of GM and Bernie Madoff.

It wasn't just coincidence that this carnage all occurred over the past ten years though. Rather, much of it was brought about by years of neglect and deferral of responsibility. In this book, FORTUNE Magazine Editor Andy Serwer explains how we fell into this national hole and more importantly, how we can and will pull ourselves out of it as we head into what could well be another most promising decade for America. Critical to this rebound is a learning of the lessons of the recent past such as accepting responsibility, punishing financial alchemy and excess, and refocusing on our core strengths like innovation and a political system which is a beacon to the rest of the world. Now is the time for Starting Over.