On Wednesday, January 7, at 6:30 p.m. at the Central Library, 14 W. 10th St., Jan R. Van Meter discusses his debut book Tippecanoe and Tyler Too: Famous Slogans and Catchphrases in American History.

From John Winthrop’s “We shall be a city upon a hill,” to Ronald Reagan’s “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall,” Van Meter, a former public relations executive and CIA intelligence analyst, examines slogans and catchphrases from the early 17th to the late 20th century.

In his book, Van Meter reveals that each one is a living, malleable entity that has profoundly shaped and continues to influence our public culture. Restoring three-dimensionality to more than 50 of these American sayings whose origins and meanings we have ceased to consider, Tippecanoe and Tyler Too turns quotes back into history by telling the life stories of the words that have served as our most powerful battle cries, rallying points, and inspirations.