In "The Wolf by the Ears," John Chester Miller offers a compelling examination of Thomas Jefferson's complex relationship with the institution of slavery, an issue that he famously likened to holding a wolf by the ears. Miller meticulously unravels the paradoxes of Jefferson's antislavery convictions against the backdrop of his personal dependency on slave labor, providing a profound analysis of the moral and political dilemmas that haunted one of America's Founding Fathers. Through careful exploration of Jefferson's writings, public statements, and private correspondences, Miller illuminates the contradictions between the man who penned "all men are created equal" and the slave owner who could not envision a viable path towards emancipation. This work is not just a biographical account but a deep dive into the ideological and practical constraints that shaped Jefferson's actions and inactions on slavery. Miller's narrative is both episodic and analytical, moving chronologically through Jefferson's life while weaving together the threads of political philosophy, personal morality, and societal norms of the 18th and early 19th centuries. "The Wolf by the Ears" stands out as a critical study of how America's third president grappled with a problem that would ultimately tear the nation apart, offering readers a nuanced perspective on the enduring question of liberty and bondage in the American conscience.