A deeply private man, Abraham Lincoln often captured "his best thoughts," as he called them, in short notes to himself. Renowned Lincoln historian Ronald C. White walks readers through twelve of Lincoln's most important private notes. We look over Lincoln's shoulder as he grapples with the problem of slavery; prepares for his historic debates with Stephen Douglas; expresses his private feelings after a defeated bid for a Senate seat; voices his concerns about the new Republican Party's long-term prospects; develops an argument for national unity amidst a secession crisis that would ultimately rend the nation in two; and, for a president many have viewed as not religious, develops a sophisticated theological reflection in the midst of the Civil War. These are notes Lincoln never expected anyone to read, put into context by a writer who has spent his life studying Lincoln's life and words. The result is a rare glimpse into the mind and soul of one of our nation's most important figures.