When Life magazine unveiled its list of the one hundred most influential Americans of the 20th century, the selection committee was guided by one question: How would our lives be different if each of the honorees did not live? Not surprisingly, Walt Disney made the list.

In addition to a complete biography, Jackson explores Disney's impact on American mass media and popular culture by focusing on animation, live-action film, documentary film, television, books, comic books, magazines, sheet music and recordings, theme parks, business, and the over-all Disney vision. A bibliographic essay examines sources of Disney scholarship, including a listing of resources available at the Walt Disney Archives in Burbank, California. Appendices provide a Disney chronology, Disney film and television credits, Disney's awards, and a listing of theme parks.