A take-off of Kennedy's Profiles in Courage, which argues that the best-known US senators don't deserve their renown as much as some lesser-known ones. Over the course of ten biographical chapters, this book tells the story of 16 men's lives in the Senate in relation to each other.

Hernon's title is a deliberate take-off of Kennedy's Profiles in Courage. Unlike Kennedy's patriotic portrayal of various Senators, Hernon takes the position that the best-known U.S. Senators throughout history don't deserve their renown as much as some lesser-known (or completely unknown) ones who served at the same time. Each chapter of his book pairs a famous Senator with his lesser-known counterpart.