<![CDATA[Promised Land: Thirteen Books That Changed America]]>

false <![CDATA[Promised Land: Thirteen Books That Changed America]]> 3877114 1 “These thirteen books must be seen as representative, not definitive, works. They are nodal points, places where vast areas of thought and feeling gathered and dispersed, creating a nation as various and vibrant as the United States, which must be considered one of the most successful nation-states in modern history, and a republic built firmly on ideas, which are contained in its major texts. Where we have been must, of course, determine where we are going. My hope is that this book helps to show us where we have been and engenders a lively conversation about our destination, which seems perpetually in dispute.” —from Promised LandAmericans need periodic reminding that they are, to a great extent, people of the book—or, rather, books. In Promised Land, Jay Parini repossesses that vibrant, intellectual heritage by examining the life and times of thirteen "books that changed America." Each of the books has been a watershed, gathering intellectual currents already in motion and marking a turn in American life and thought. Their influence remains pervasive, however hidden, and in his essays Jay Parini demonstrates how these books entered American life and altered how we think and act in the world. The thirteen "books that changed America": Of Plymouth Plantation • The Federalist Papers • The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin • The Journals of Lewis and Clark • Walden • Uncle Tom's Cabin • Adventures of Huckleberry Finn • The Souls of Black Folk • The Promised Land • How to Win Friends and Influence People • The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care • On the Road • The Feminine Mystique Promised Land offers a reading of the American psyche, allowing us to reflect on what our past means for who we are now. It is a rich and immensely readable work of cultural history that will appeal to all book lovers and students of the American character alike. 3922355 4 11 2008 Promised Land: Thirteen Books That Changed America total:49|5:7|4:20|3:16|2:3|1:3| 49 172 187 16 5 1 false false Mon Dec 22 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Fri Dec 19 11:11:11 -0800 2008 Mon Dec 22 09:24:44 -0800 2008
Of course, I am writing this review because I found much more than an insightful di...more...]]> 3 0 false false Thu Feb 05 10:02:33 -0800 2009 Thu Feb 05 10:02:33 -0800 2009 While critics agreed that the 13 works offered by Parini are seminal, they all thought that his short list was, well, too short. Some critics thought that, fundamentally, Parini set far too ambitious a goal and therefore found the book disappointing; others were happy to quibble with the works he se...

more...]]> 1 0 false false Sat Mar 07 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Feb 24 11:52:28 -0800 2009 Sun Mar 08 16:33:21 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 1 false false Mon Jul 27 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 13 13:01:31 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 28 17:00:45 -0700 2009 1 more...]]> 1 0 false false Tue Jan 06 16:40:09 -0800 2009 Tue Jan 06 16:49:03 -0800 2009
Thirteen important American books--but not the ones you thought.

Plymouth Plantation,
The Federalist Papers,
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin,
The Journals of Lewis and Clark,
Walden, Uncle Tom's Cabin,
...more...]]> 3 0 false false Mon Oct 12 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Nov 19 18:25:27 -0800 2008 Mon Oct 12 20:40:27 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat Mar 21 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Mar 18 18:37:06 -0700 2009 Sat Mar 21 19:18:19 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat Feb 21 21:52:02 -0800 2009 Sat Feb 21 21:53:26 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Jan 02 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Mon Dec 15 08:16:49 -0800 2008 Mon Jan 05 05:37:50 -0800 2009
At the end is a list of 100...more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sat Jan 24 05:15:34 -0800 2009 Sat Jan 24 05:17:27 -0800 2009 3 0 false false Fri Dec 12 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sun Dec 07 06:27:15 -0800 2008 Fri Dec 12 16:21:05 -0800 2008 4 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sat Mar 21 15:42:31 -0700 2009 Sat Mar 21 15:43:51 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Thu Apr 02 17:26:37 -0700 2009 Thu Apr 02 17:27:39 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Thu Mar 26 16:35:46 -0700 2009 Thu Feb 26 15:02:59 -0800 2009 Thu Mar 26 16:35:46 -0700 2009 but I chose to ignore it. Worth the read. It made me want to go out and read most of t...more...]]> 0 0 false false Tue Feb 17 21:02:41 -0800 2009 Sun Mar 01 17:30:14 -0800 2009
Bookmarks Issue: 39-Mar-Apr-2009]]> 4 0 false false Tue Oct 13 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Nov 10 08:10:58 -0800 2008 Wed Oct 14 16:16:08 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Fri Nov 20 06:34:47 -0800 2009 Fri Nov 20 06:34:51 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Wed Nov 04 16:46:53 -0800 2009 Wed Nov 04 16:47:02 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Sun Nov 01 05:23:16 -0800 2009 Sun Nov 01 05:23:16 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Thu Oct 29 09:51:27 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 29 09:51:45 -0700 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=3877114