From the early 1960s to the late 1980s, John A. Hostetler was the world's premier scholar of Amish life. This book contains four essays in which Hostetler is the primary subject. The second half reprints in chronological order fourteen key writings by Hostetler with commentaries and annotations by Weaver-Zercher.

"Writing the Amish both recounts and assesses Hostetler's Amish-related work.