I found this to be an excellent book for my English composition students. My only complaint is that some stories from the 10th addition were removed in the 11th edition.

I'm reading parts of this book for my college English class, but it is such a thought-provoking book that I read other sections. A great book that makes you think, I really enjoy reading this book and cannot wait to finish.

- unique perspectives
- mostly unsurprising, personally
- didn't learn much; mostly a moderately interesting reading

This isn't my usual diet, but this is an extremely important book. It is largely essays with a mixing of fictionalized histories and some stories, but, here is the important thing, everything about this book is quality.

The writers are all good at what they do, some of them amazing. The essays are poignant and focused, balanced by authors on both sides of the spectrum. This is a historically and politically important book that should be read by every American. Some sections are better than others, but for insight and quality writing, a really do not think a better collection exists about America.

On a side note, probably not that interesting to non-Americans, obviously. Still, anyone interested in America should read this with an open mind.

It really is outstanding.

School Book

Quite simply this book is a collection of essays or excerpts tackling a variety of issues surrounding the "mythology" of America. The offerings are grouped according to a theme: family (specifically the myth of the 1950s nuclear family), education (as a means to "success"), upward mobility, gender, the melting pot, and America as a "Land of Liberty." Every section basically follows the same loose formula-1.) an essay that epitomizes the myth or something old-school that the myth may have originated from 2.)then there will be an essay that almost directly refutes that myth or at least pokes a lot of holes. 3.)The following selections are mostly progressive/liberal leaning, but a couple conservative pieces are offered in each section that I believe only look more foolish in juxtaposition with the other selections..this seems fairly intentional. 4.)A small collection of photographs are also included in each section.

I found this book in a free pile at used textbook store in Southern California, and honestly most people who have gone to college and maybe taken at least one social science class will probably be familiar with most of these topics. I think many people of my generation already know that gender is fluid, racism is still an issue, and the nuclear family is almost an anomaly. However, I still found this book to be a very interesting and sometimes refreshing read. I really liked reading essays dealing with education as a means of socialization first and foremost above learning, and especially an essay detailing a compelling and justified call for black reparations. I also just liked being exposed to new (to me) nonfiction writers. With all of the short selections, its kinda like eating addicting snacks...maybe not super enlightening (or nourishing), but satisfying in the short term.

This text is required for my Comp II and so far it looks to be interesting, rethinking and examining the concept of education in America.

boi boi boi boi

I had to read this for my college diversity English class. I read it before my classes started, and again throughout my course.
There are some interesting essays in here and some interesting opinions--but they are just that.
We used topics from the book as our weekly discussions so I was able to get a lot of different interpretations of this book, which was unique to me. So, for the setting in which this book was used, I think it was a great fit.
The problem with this book is that it only tackled one side of things, not multiple sides of the issues. For example, when it talks about the issues with the LGBTI and gay marriage, the only side you see is the side of the LGBTI and gays fighting for marriage equality. You are not shown how things went down for the religious, or even government officials. So it's very one-dimensional, and at times felt very much like attempted indoctrination.
The way that feminist issues were handled was extremely disappointing as well.
One of the things the book mentions is that there would be some offensive topics in here, but I was really only offended by the lack of depth and thought provocation provided. This book actually encourages racism and sexism at times with the content offered, because there is nothing to compare it to. It really suggests that you single everyone out for what race they are, what sex they are, and what sexual orientation they assign to, and then make sure you think about those differences without actually addressing them.
So, this is not a book that I took too seriously once I realized it. It sure is eye opening at times, but for the most part I felt that it was just a load of propaganda being pushed to sway readers to the author's opinions on matters. Even the questions being asked at the end of essays only ask one dimensional things. You are not really encouraged to delve deeper into what you really believe, only what the author's of the book want to push you towards.

This is one of those point/counterpoint books that you are often required to read in undergraduate college courses, which is why I was a little surprised to see it pop up in a graduate level course. In spite of the fact that it's clearly intended for undergraduates taking their initial required humanities courses, the articles are actually very thought provoking, and surprisingly I had not already encountered most of them in other contexts. The book delves into all of life's controversies and has articles that reflect a variety of perspectives--both liberal and conservative. While I may never agree with the biases or political choices of some of the authors, I have to concede that all of them have very good points to make. If you are intending to broaden your mind, this is a good book for you.

though there are some really good/interesting selections in this book, the part that i found most interesting were the photo portfolios....sometimes, a picture is worth a thousand words.....

Interesting. I liked the graphic novel section.