After 1885 he devoted himself almost entirely to historical research and writing. Adams traveled extensively in Europe, spending considerable time in France. He died in Washington, D.C., on March 27, 1918. In this work Adams introduced his dynamic theory of history. Derived from the second law of thermodynamics, the theory maintains that mechanical energy is in a constant state of dissipation.
Human history is similarly devoid of purpose and consists merely of a succession of energy phases.
The book is an autobiography written in the third person with detached skepticism and delicate irony. Its main concern was to indict the educational system of his day for its failure to prepare an intelligent man for the chaos of modern life. Adams's works reveal a profound concern with the destiny of the modern world. His prose style is forceful, as is his treatment of ideas. Although he thought of his privately published books as unsatisfactory, later critics place them among the important works of the 20th century.