<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<GoodreadsResponse>
	<Request>
		<authentication>false</authentication>
		    <method><![CDATA[]]></method>
	</Request>
	
<book>
  <id>4820957</id>
  <title><![CDATA[The American Future: A History]]></title>
  <isbn><![CDATA[1847920004]]></isbn>
  <isbn13><![CDATA[9781847920003]]></isbn13>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <description><![CDATA[In November 2008 the United States will elect a new President. But the imminent collapse of twenty years of Republican conservativism means the country is already conducting an intense self-examination about the trajectory of its history; how it came to find itself in multiple crises and how an America that began as 'the last, best hope of earth' came to be so suspected and vilified around much of the world. &quot;The American Future: A History&quot;, written by an author who has spent half his life there, takes the long view of how the United States has come to this anguished moment of truth about its own identity as a nation and its place in the world.In each of the chapters devoted to the most compelling issues facing Americans now - the projection of power (&quot;American war&quot;); race, immigration and the problematic promise of e pluribus unum (&quot;American skin&quot;); the intensity of religious conviction in public life (&quot;American fervour&quot;); the mystique of American land and its battles with the imperatives of profit ('American Plenty'- Schama traces the deep history of the present crisis.  Cumulatively the chapters build into a history of American exceptionalism - the 'American difference' that means so much to its people but which has led it into calamities as well as triumphs. &quot;The American Future: A History&quot; argues that if you want to know what is truly at stake, you need to absorb these stories and understand this history - for understanding is the condition of hope.]]></description>
  <work>
  <best_book_id type="integer">4820957</best_book_id>
  <books_count type="integer">9</books_count>
  <desc_user_id type="integer" nil="true"></desc_user_id>
  <id type="integer">4886107</id>
  <media_type>book</media_type>
  <original_language_id type="integer" nil="true"></original_language_id>
  <original_publication_day type="integer">2</original_publication_day>
  <original_publication_month type="integer">10</original_publication_month>
  <original_publication_year type="integer">2008</original_publication_year>
  <original_title>The American Future: A History</original_title>
  <rating_dist>total:70|5:17|4:34|3:13|2:5|1:1|</rating_dist>
  <ratings_count type="integer">70</ratings_count>
  <ratings_sum type="integer">271</ratings_sum>
  <reviews_count type="integer">206</reviews_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">28</text_reviews_count>
</work>

  <average_rating><![CDATA[3.87]]></average_rating>
  <ratings_count><![CDATA[50]]></ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count><![CDATA[20]]></text_reviews_count>
  
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4820957.The_American_Future_A_History]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4820957.The_American_Future_A_History]]></link>
  <authors>
    <author>
    <id>695</id>
        <name><![CDATA[Simon Schama]]></name>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1250448182p5/695.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1250448182p2/695.jpg]]></small_image_url>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/695.Simon_Schama]]></link>
    <average_rating>4.00</average_rating>
    <ratings_count>1391</ratings_count>
    <text_reviews_count>225</text_reviews_count>
  </author>
  </authors>
    <reviews start="1" end="20" total="206">
      <review>
  <id>34022283</id>
    <user>
    <id>416390</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Paul]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Nottingham, The United Kingdom]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/416390-paul]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1224113172p3/416390.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1224113172p2/416390.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">4820957</id>
  <isbn>1847920004</isbn>
  <isbn13>9781847920003</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">20</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The American Future: A History]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4820957.The_American_Future_A_History</link>
  <average_rating>3.90</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>50</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In November 2008 the United States will elect a new President. But the imminent collapse of twenty years of Republican conservativism means the country is already conducting an intense self-examination about the trajectory of its history; how it came to find itself in multiple crises and how an America that began as 'the last, best hope of earth' came to be so suspected and vilified around much of the world. &quot;The American Future: A History&quot;, written by an author who has spent half his life there, takes the long view of how the United States has come to this anguished moment of truth about its own identity as a nation and its place in the world.In each of the chapters devoted to the most compelling issues facing Americans now - the projection of power (&quot;American war&quot;); race, immigration and the problematic promise of e pluribus unum (&quot;American skin&quot;); the intensity of religious conviction in public life (&quot;American fervour&quot;); the mystique of American land and its battles with the imperatives of profit ('American Plenty'- Schama traces the deep history of the present crisis.  Cumulatively the chapters build into a history of American exceptionalism - the 'American difference' that means so much to its people but which has led it into calamities as well as triumphs. &quot;The American Future: A History&quot; argues that if you want to know what is truly at stake, you need to absorb these stories and understand this history - for understanding is the condition of hope.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>0</rating>
  <votes>6</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
            <shelf name="to-read-nonfiction" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Sep 28 03:51:06 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Sep 28 03:59:38 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Simon Jenkins writes in today's Sunday Times:<br/><br/>“The most evil nation on earth!” At a dinner in Lahore earlier this year I was shocked at the casual anti-Americanism of the conversation. Sophisticated people who knew America and Americans well took it as second nature to excoriate the p...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/34022283">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/34022283]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/34022283]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>65553782</id>
    <user>
    <id>1008236</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Bookmarks Magazine]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1008236-bookmarks-magazine]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1233856382p3/1008236.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1233856382p2/1008236.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">4820960</id>
  <isbn>0060539232</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780060539238</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">6</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The American Future: A History]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1229446403m/4820960.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1229446403s/4820960.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4820960.The_American_Future_A_History</link>
  <average_rating>3.93</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>15</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[<blockquote> <p> Acclaimed historian and award-winning author Simon Schama offers an essential historical perspective on the crucial 2008 presidential election and its importance for reclaiming America's original ideal. </p> </blockquote> <p> It's not business as usual. Cultural hostilities more irreconcilable than any since the Civil War have divided America in two. In November 2008, the American people elected a new president, feeling more anxious about the future of the nation than at any time since Watergate. Our omnipotent military, the cornucopia of material comforts available, the security of our borders, and the global economy can no longer be taken for granted. </p> <p> In <em>The American Future</em>, historian Simon Schama takes a long look at the multiple crises besetting the United States and asks how these problems look in the mirror of time. In four crucial debates—on wars, religion, race and immigration, and the relationship between natural resources and prosperity—Schama looks back to see more clearly into the future. Full of lost insights, <em>The American Future</em> showcases Schama's acclaimed gift for storytelling, ensuring these voices will be heard again. </p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="sept-oct-2009" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Jul 30 11:27:01 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Jul 30 11:27:01 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[&quot;As the adaptation of a television series, <em>The American Future</em> treads a fine line between history and a kind of quick-cut shorthand that tries to neatly define the virtues of America and Americans (the <em>Miami Herald</em> deemed the genre the &quot;&quot;Earnest Television Spinoff&quot;&quot;). Simon ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/65553782">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/65553782]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/65553782]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>73577315</id>
    <user>
    <id>1694257</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Bryan]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Bountiful, UT]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1694257-bryan]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1229994070p3/1694257.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1229994070p2/1694257.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">4820957</id>
  <isbn>1847920004</isbn>
  <isbn13>9781847920003</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">20</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The American Future: A History]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4820957.The_American_Future_A_History</link>
  <average_rating>3.87</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>70</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In November 2008 the United States will elect a new President. But the imminent collapse of twenty years of Republican conservativism means the country is already conducting an intense self-examination about the trajectory of its history; how it came to find itself in multiple crises and how an America that began as 'the last, best hope of earth' came to be so suspected and vilified around much of the world. &quot;The American Future: A History&quot;, written by an author who has spent half his life there, takes the long view of how the United States has come to this anguished moment of truth about its own identity as a nation and its place in the world.In each of the chapters devoted to the most compelling issues facing Americans now - the projection of power (&quot;American war&quot;); race, immigration and the problematic promise of e pluribus unum (&quot;American skin&quot;); the intensity of religious conviction in public life (&quot;American fervour&quot;); the mystique of American land and its battles with the imperatives of profit ('American Plenty'- Schama traces the deep history of the present crisis.  Cumulatively the chapters build into a history of American exceptionalism - the 'American difference' that means so much to its people but which has led it into calamities as well as triumphs. &quot;The American Future: A History&quot; argues that if you want to know what is truly at stake, you need to absorb these stories and understand this history - for understanding is the condition of hope.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="history" />
        <shelf name="leadership" />
        <shelf name="political-science" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Oct 05 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Oct 05 19:21:15 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Oct 05 19:21:15 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[An interesting book, it goes through many current issues through the lens of history as a guide showing us where we have been.  Historians always use the argument that if we don’t learn from the past we are doomed to repeat it.  This book shows that there really isn’t a problem that we face toda...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73577315">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73577315]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73577315]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>64908700</id>
    <user>
    <id>1069092</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Brad]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Orem, UT]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1069092-brad]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1211486771p3/1069092.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1211486771p2/1069092.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">4820960</id>
  <isbn>0060539232</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780060539238</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">6</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The American Future: A History]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1229446403m/4820960.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1229446403s/4820960.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4820960.The_American_Future_A_History</link>
  <average_rating>3.87</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>70</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[<blockquote> <p> Acclaimed historian and award-winning author Simon Schama offers an essential historical perspective on the crucial 2008 presidential election and its importance for reclaiming America's original ideal. </p> </blockquote> <p> It's not business as usual. Cultural hostilities more irreconcilable than any since the Civil War have divided America in two. In November 2008, the American people elected a new president, feeling more anxious about the future of the nation than at any time since Watergate. Our omnipotent military, the cornucopia of material comforts available, the security of our borders, and the global economy can no longer be taken for granted. </p> <p> In <em>The American Future</em>, historian Simon Schama takes a long look at the multiple crises besetting the United States and asks how these problems look in the mirror of time. In four crucial debates—on wars, religion, race and immigration, and the relationship between natural resources and prosperity—Schama looks back to see more clearly into the future. Full of lost insights, <em>The American Future</em> showcases Schama's acclaimed gift for storytelling, ensuring these voices will be heard again. </p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Sep 03 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Jul 25 11:11:56 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Sep 03 07:24:10 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[The premise of this book concerns the idea that we can only comprehend the American future by understanding the American past. To accomplish this, Schama deals with four different aspects of American uniqueness that, contemporary Americans ignorant of history might seemingly ignore. And to clarify t...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/64908700">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/64908700]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/64908700]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>57787957</id>
    <user>
    <id>1372018</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Michael]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1372018-michael]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1224865459p3/1372018.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1224865459p2/1372018.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">4820957</id>
  <isbn>1847920004</isbn>
  <isbn13>9781847920003</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">20</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The American Future: A History]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4820957.The_American_Future_A_History</link>
  <average_rating>3.87</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>70</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In November 2008 the United States will elect a new President. But the imminent collapse of twenty years of Republican conservativism means the country is already conducting an intense self-examination about the trajectory of its history; how it came to find itself in multiple crises and how an America that began as 'the last, best hope of earth' came to be so suspected and vilified around much of the world. &quot;The American Future: A History&quot;, written by an author who has spent half his life there, takes the long view of how the United States has come to this anguished moment of truth about its own identity as a nation and its place in the world.In each of the chapters devoted to the most compelling issues facing Americans now - the projection of power (&quot;American war&quot;); race, immigration and the problematic promise of e pluribus unum (&quot;American skin&quot;); the intensity of religious conviction in public life (&quot;American fervour&quot;); the mystique of American land and its battles with the imperatives of profit ('American Plenty'- Schama traces the deep history of the present crisis.  Cumulatively the chapters build into a history of American exceptionalism - the 'American difference' that means so much to its people but which has led it into calamities as well as triumphs. &quot;The American Future: A History&quot; argues that if you want to know what is truly at stake, you need to absorb these stories and understand this history - for understanding is the condition of hope.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>0</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Fri May 29 16:12:30 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Jul 12 13:04:49 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Stylish, superb writing...]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/57787957]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/57787957]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>70413005</id>
    <user>
    <id>2050903</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Paul]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Oak Park, IL]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2050903-paul]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-M-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-M-50x66.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">4820957</id>
  <isbn>1847920004</isbn>
  <isbn13>9781847920003</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">20</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The American Future: A History]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4820957.The_American_Future_A_History</link>
  <average_rating>3.87</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>70</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In November 2008 the United States will elect a new President. But the imminent collapse of twenty years of Republican conservativism means the country is already conducting an intense self-examination about the trajectory of its history; how it came to find itself in multiple crises and how an America that began as 'the last, best hope of earth' came to be so suspected and vilified around much of the world. &quot;The American Future: A History&quot;, written by an author who has spent half his life there, takes the long view of how the United States has come to this anguished moment of truth about its own identity as a nation and its place in the world.In each of the chapters devoted to the most compelling issues facing Americans now - the projection of power (&quot;American war&quot;); race, immigration and the problematic promise of e pluribus unum (&quot;American skin&quot;); the intensity of religious conviction in public life (&quot;American fervour&quot;); the mystique of American land and its battles with the imperatives of profit ('American Plenty'- Schama traces the deep history of the present crisis.  Cumulatively the chapters build into a history of American exceptionalism - the 'American difference' that means so much to its people but which has led it into calamities as well as triumphs. &quot;The American Future: A History&quot; argues that if you want to know what is truly at stake, you need to absorb these stories and understand this history - for understanding is the condition of hope.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Oct 10 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Sep 07 18:25:10 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Oct 20 14:21:20 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[There are geniuses among us.  No, probably not that guy next to you on the train. They're difficult to spot, unless they reveal themselves in some way.  Fortunately, some of them do so by writing books.  Simon Schama is definitely one of them.  Schama's latest, &quot;American Future,&quot; is based ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/70413005">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/70413005]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/70413005]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>74601149</id>
    <user>
    <id>2842388</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Jami]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Bountiful, UT]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2842388-jami-fultz]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-50x66.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">4820960</id>
  <isbn>0060539232</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780060539238</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">6</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The American Future: A History]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1229446403m/4820960.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1229446403s/4820960.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4820960.The_American_Future_A_History</link>
  <average_rating>3.87</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>70</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[<blockquote> <p> Acclaimed historian and award-winning author Simon Schama offers an essential historical perspective on the crucial 2008 presidential election and its importance for reclaiming America's original ideal. </p> </blockquote> <p> It's not business as usual. Cultural hostilities more irreconcilable than any since the Civil War have divided America in two. In November 2008, the American people elected a new president, feeling more anxious about the future of the nation than at any time since Watergate. Our omnipotent military, the cornucopia of material comforts available, the security of our borders, and the global economy can no longer be taken for granted. </p> <p> In <em>The American Future</em>, historian Simon Schama takes a long look at the multiple crises besetting the United States and asks how these problems look in the mirror of time. In four crucial debates—on wars, religion, race and immigration, and the relationship between natural resources and prosperity—Schama looks back to see more clearly into the future. Full of lost insights, <em>The American Future</em> showcases Schama's acclaimed gift for storytelling, ensuring these voices will be heard again. </p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>0</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
            <shelf name="currently-reading" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Oct 15 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Oct 15 05:13:44 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Oct 15 05:21:10 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Initially, I was skeptical ... what could a British historian tell Americans about their own history? But from the first provocative line - stating the day democracy returned to the U.S. was in January 2008 at Theodore Roosevelt High School in Des Moines, IA -  I was hooked. I have been impressed wi...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/74601149">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/74601149]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/74601149]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>76482083</id>
    <user>
    <id>2902102</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Jim]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2902102-jim]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-M-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-M-50x66.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">4820957</id>
  <isbn>1847920004</isbn>
  <isbn13>9781847920003</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">20</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The American Future: A History]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4820957.The_American_Future_A_History</link>
  <average_rating>3.87</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>70</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In November 2008 the United States will elect a new President. But the imminent collapse of twenty years of Republican conservativism means the country is already conducting an intense self-examination about the trajectory of its history; how it came to find itself in multiple crises and how an America that began as 'the last, best hope of earth' came to be so suspected and vilified around much of the world. &quot;The American Future: A History&quot;, written by an author who has spent half his life there, takes the long view of how the United States has come to this anguished moment of truth about its own identity as a nation and its place in the world.In each of the chapters devoted to the most compelling issues facing Americans now - the projection of power (&quot;American war&quot;); race, immigration and the problematic promise of e pluribus unum (&quot;American skin&quot;); the intensity of religious conviction in public life (&quot;American fervour&quot;); the mystique of American land and its battles with the imperatives of profit ('American Plenty'- Schama traces the deep history of the present crisis.  Cumulatively the chapters build into a history of American exceptionalism - the 'American difference' that means so much to its people but which has led it into calamities as well as triumphs. &quot;The American Future: A History&quot; argues that if you want to know what is truly at stake, you need to absorb these stories and understand this history - for understanding is the condition of hope.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Oct 15 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Nov 02 09:28:20 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Nov 02 09:34:02 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I liked the History Channel's History of Britain, hosted by Simon Schama.  When I saw Schama on The Journal with Bill Moyers, I put it on my read list.  <br/><br/>The book looks at today's social problems from a historical context of America.  Immigration looks back to examples of Texas Independan...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76482083">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76482083]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76482083]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>61313608</id>
    <user>
    <id>919342</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Miguel]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Venezuela]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/919342-miguel]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-M-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-M-50x66.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">4820957</id>
  <isbn>1847920004</isbn>
  <isbn13>9781847920003</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">20</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The American Future: A History]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4820957.The_American_Future_A_History</link>
  <average_rating>3.87</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>70</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In November 2008 the United States will elect a new President. But the imminent collapse of twenty years of Republican conservativism means the country is already conducting an intense self-examination about the trajectory of its history; how it came to find itself in multiple crises and how an America that began as 'the last, best hope of earth' came to be so suspected and vilified around much of the world. &quot;The American Future: A History&quot;, written by an author who has spent half his life there, takes the long view of how the United States has come to this anguished moment of truth about its own identity as a nation and its place in the world.In each of the chapters devoted to the most compelling issues facing Americans now - the projection of power (&quot;American war&quot;); race, immigration and the problematic promise of e pluribus unum (&quot;American skin&quot;); the intensity of religious conviction in public life (&quot;American fervour&quot;); the mystique of American land and its battles with the imperatives of profit ('American Plenty'- Schama traces the deep history of the present crisis.  Cumulatively the chapters build into a history of American exceptionalism - the 'American difference' that means so much to its people but which has led it into calamities as well as triumphs. &quot;The American Future: A History&quot; argues that if you want to know what is truly at stake, you need to absorb these stories and understand this history - for understanding is the condition of hope.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Jun 27 14:10:18 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Jul 07 18:33:09 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Schama's prose becomes more self-indulgent with every book he writes, and this tome takes the tendency to a new extreme. I watched the BBC series beforehand and was dazzled by the episode on &quot;American Plenty&quot;, learning for the first time about John Wesley Powell and finding out that Las Ve...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/61313608">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/61313608]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/61313608]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>58813247</id>
    <user>
    <id>579935</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Ken]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Longwood, FL]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/579935-ken]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1193402207p3/579935.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1193402207p2/579935.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">4820960</id>
  <isbn>0060539232</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780060539238</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">6</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The American Future: A History]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1229446403m/4820960.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1229446403s/4820960.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4820960.The_American_Future_A_History</link>
  <average_rating>3.87</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>70</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[<blockquote> <p> Acclaimed historian and award-winning author Simon Schama offers an essential historical perspective on the crucial 2008 presidential election and its importance for reclaiming America's original ideal. </p> </blockquote> <p> It's not business as usual. Cultural hostilities more irreconcilable than any since the Civil War have divided America in two. In November 2008, the American people elected a new president, feeling more anxious about the future of the nation than at any time since Watergate. Our omnipotent military, the cornucopia of material comforts available, the security of our borders, and the global economy can no longer be taken for granted. </p> <p> In <em>The American Future</em>, historian Simon Schama takes a long look at the multiple crises besetting the United States and asks how these problems look in the mirror of time. In four crucial debates—on wars, religion, race and immigration, and the relationship between natural resources and prosperity—Schama looks back to see more clearly into the future. Full of lost insights, <em>The American Future</em> showcases Schama's acclaimed gift for storytelling, ensuring these voices will be heard again. </p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Aug 06 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Jun 07 20:42:43 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Aug 06 16:35:07 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[   Using the 2008 election as a backdrop, award-winning historian Simon Schama delves into our history to provide perspective on what it really means to be an American. War, race &amp; immigration, religion, and prosperity are the four pillars that are the foundation of this book. Simon digs deep to une...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/58813247">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/58813247]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/58813247]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>56926747</id>
    <user>
    <id>1670731</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Ashish]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Newport Beach, CA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1670731-ashish]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1245902679p3/1670731.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1245902679p2/1670731.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">4820957</id>
  <isbn>1847920004</isbn>
  <isbn13>9781847920003</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">20</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The American Future: A History]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4820957.The_American_Future_A_History</link>
  <average_rating>3.87</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>70</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In November 2008 the United States will elect a new President. But the imminent collapse of twenty years of Republican conservativism means the country is already conducting an intense self-examination about the trajectory of its history; how it came to find itself in multiple crises and how an America that began as 'the last, best hope of earth' came to be so suspected and vilified around much of the world. &quot;The American Future: A History&quot;, written by an author who has spent half his life there, takes the long view of how the United States has come to this anguished moment of truth about its own identity as a nation and its place in the world.In each of the chapters devoted to the most compelling issues facing Americans now - the projection of power (&quot;American war&quot;); race, immigration and the problematic promise of e pluribus unum (&quot;American skin&quot;); the intensity of religious conviction in public life (&quot;American fervour&quot;); the mystique of American land and its battles with the imperatives of profit ('American Plenty'- Schama traces the deep history of the present crisis.  Cumulatively the chapters build into a history of American exceptionalism - the 'American difference' that means so much to its people but which has led it into calamities as well as triumphs. &quot;The American Future: A History&quot; argues that if you want to know what is truly at stake, you need to absorb these stories and understand this history - for understanding is the condition of hope.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue Apr 14 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu May 21 21:53:55 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Nov 09 23:23:37 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[He's back - one of the greatest living historians and essayists is in the house and has thrown his shirt into the ring. Schama is here to sing of his adopted home - not a martial song of praise but a complex melody that is as rich and layered as the history of the country he loves so well.  The book...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/56926747">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/56926747]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/56926747]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>57109140</id>
    <user>
    <id>425836</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Fenixbird]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Phoenix, AZ]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/425836-fenixbird-sands]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1257568966p3/425836.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1257568966p2/425836.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">4820957</id>
  <isbn>1847920004</isbn>
  <isbn13>9781847920003</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">20</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The American Future: A History]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4820957.The_American_Future_A_History</link>
  <average_rating>3.87</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>70</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In November 2008 the United States will elect a new President. But the imminent collapse of twenty years of Republican conservativism means the country is already conducting an intense self-examination about the trajectory of its history; how it came to find itself in multiple crises and how an America that began as 'the last, best hope of earth' came to be so suspected and vilified around much of the world. &quot;The American Future: A History&quot;, written by an author who has spent half his life there, takes the long view of how the United States has come to this anguished moment of truth about its own identity as a nation and its place in the world.In each of the chapters devoted to the most compelling issues facing Americans now - the projection of power (&quot;American war&quot;); race, immigration and the problematic promise of e pluribus unum (&quot;American skin&quot;); the intensity of religious conviction in public life (&quot;American fervour&quot;); the mystique of American land and its battles with the imperatives of profit ('American Plenty'- Schama traces the deep history of the present crisis.  Cumulatively the chapters build into a history of American exceptionalism - the 'American difference' that means so much to its people but which has led it into calamities as well as triumphs. &quot;The American Future: A History&quot; argues that if you want to know what is truly at stake, you need to absorb these stories and understand this history - for understanding is the condition of hope.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>0</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
            <shelf name="history" />
        <shelf name="politics-internatinal" />
        <shelf name="to-read" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sat May 23 19:18:35 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat May 23 19:18:35 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/57109140]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/57109140]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>65132603</id>
    <user>
    <id>2513768</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Henk]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United Kingdom]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2513768-henk]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1260996082p3/2513768.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1260996082p2/2513768.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">4820957</id>
  <isbn>1847920004</isbn>
  <isbn13>9781847920003</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">20</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The American Future: A History]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4820957.The_American_Future_A_History</link>
  <average_rating>3.87</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>70</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In November 2008 the United States will elect a new President. But the imminent collapse of twenty years of Republican conservativism means the country is already conducting an intense self-examination about the trajectory of its history; how it came to find itself in multiple crises and how an America that began as 'the last, best hope of earth' came to be so suspected and vilified around much of the world. &quot;The American Future: A History&quot;, written by an author who has spent half his life there, takes the long view of how the United States has come to this anguished moment of truth about its own identity as a nation and its place in the world.In each of the chapters devoted to the most compelling issues facing Americans now - the projection of power (&quot;American war&quot;); race, immigration and the problematic promise of e pluribus unum (&quot;American skin&quot;); the intensity of religious conviction in public life (&quot;American fervour&quot;); the mystique of American land and its battles with the imperatives of profit ('American Plenty'- Schama traces the deep history of the present crisis.  Cumulatively the chapters build into a history of American exceptionalism - the 'American difference' that means so much to its people but which has led it into calamities as well as triumphs. &quot;The American Future: A History&quot; argues that if you want to know what is truly at stake, you need to absorb these stories and understand this history - for understanding is the condition of hope.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
            <shelf name="currently-reading" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Jul 27 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Jul 27 09:46:46 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Jul 28 12:01:34 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I am also reading the David Reynolds book, 'America, Empire of Liberty', which is incomparably better. There seems to be a lack of focus in the writing and there is nothing to hold my interest.<br/><br/>I thoroughly enjoyed 'Citizens' by Schama but I cannot get into this book.<br/><br/>Beacuse I...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/65132603">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/65132603]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/65132603]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>59845391</id>
    <user>
    <id>1536318</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Mark]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Las Vegas, NV]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1536318-mark]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-M-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-M-50x66.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">4820960</id>
  <isbn>0060539232</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780060539238</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">6</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The American Future: A History]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1229446403m/4820960.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1229446403s/4820960.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4820960.The_American_Future_A_History</link>
  <average_rating>3.87</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>70</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[<blockquote> <p> Acclaimed historian and award-winning author Simon Schama offers an essential historical perspective on the crucial 2008 presidential election and its importance for reclaiming America's original ideal. </p> </blockquote> <p> It's not business as usual. Cultural hostilities more irreconcilable than any since the Civil War have divided America in two. In November 2008, the American people elected a new president, feeling more anxious about the future of the nation than at any time since Watergate. Our omnipotent military, the cornucopia of material comforts available, the security of our borders, and the global economy can no longer be taken for granted. </p> <p> In <em>The American Future</em>, historian Simon Schama takes a long look at the multiple crises besetting the United States and asks how these problems look in the mirror of time. In four crucial debates—on wars, religion, race and immigration, and the relationship between natural resources and prosperity—Schama looks back to see more clearly into the future. Full of lost insights, <em>The American Future</em> showcases Schama's acclaimed gift for storytelling, ensuring these voices will be heard again. </p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>2</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Fri May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Jun 15 22:24:26 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Jun 15 22:30:11 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A great review of American history warts and all. It made me realize just how biased our school curriculum is. From destruction of native American societies, to slavery, to discrimination against all immigrants at one time or another, Schama puts it all in perspective and suggests what is yet to com...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/59845391">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/59845391]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/59845391]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>59807429</id>
    <user>
    <id>233482</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Kevin]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Bronx, NY]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/233482-kevin]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1185709060p3/233482.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1185709060p2/233482.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">4820960</id>
  <isbn>0060539232</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780060539238</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">6</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The American Future: A History]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1229446403m/4820960.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1229446403s/4820960.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4820960.The_American_Future_A_History</link>
  <average_rating>3.87</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>70</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[<blockquote> <p> Acclaimed historian and award-winning author Simon Schama offers an essential historical perspective on the crucial 2008 presidential election and its importance for reclaiming America's original ideal. </p> </blockquote> <p> It's not business as usual. Cultural hostilities more irreconcilable than any since the Civil War have divided America in two. In November 2008, the American people elected a new president, feeling more anxious about the future of the nation than at any time since Watergate. Our omnipotent military, the cornucopia of material comforts available, the security of our borders, and the global economy can no longer be taken for granted. </p> <p> In <em>The American Future</em>, historian Simon Schama takes a long look at the multiple crises besetting the United States and asks how these problems look in the mirror of time. In four crucial debates—on wars, religion, race and immigration, and the relationship between natural resources and prosperity—Schama looks back to see more clearly into the future. Full of lost insights, <em>The American Future</em> showcases Schama's acclaimed gift for storytelling, ensuring these voices will be heard again. </p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Jun 15 17:31:27 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Jun 26 17:17:12 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[While the future of America does get some mention in The American Future: A History. The book definitely spends more time on the past. Wars and the founding fathers played a large part, but the topics which most interested me were the fascinatingly detailed and  very specific depictions of the horri...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/59807429">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/59807429]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/59807429]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>39131610</id>
    <user>
    <id>1768850</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Oliver]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Oxford, The United Kingdom]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1768850-oliver-hill-andrews]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1255875216p3/1768850.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1255875216p2/1768850.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">4820957</id>
  <isbn>1847920004</isbn>
  <isbn13>9781847920003</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">20</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The American Future: A History]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4820957.The_American_Future_A_History</link>
  <average_rating>3.87</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>70</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In November 2008 the United States will elect a new President. But the imminent collapse of twenty years of Republican conservativism means the country is already conducting an intense self-examination about the trajectory of its history; how it came to find itself in multiple crises and how an America that began as 'the last, best hope of earth' came to be so suspected and vilified around much of the world. &quot;The American Future: A History&quot;, written by an author who has spent half his life there, takes the long view of how the United States has come to this anguished moment of truth about its own identity as a nation and its place in the world.In each of the chapters devoted to the most compelling issues facing Americans now - the projection of power (&quot;American war&quot;); race, immigration and the problematic promise of e pluribus unum (&quot;American skin&quot;); the intensity of religious conviction in public life (&quot;American fervour&quot;); the mystique of American land and its battles with the imperatives of profit ('American Plenty'- Schama traces the deep history of the present crisis.  Cumulatively the chapters build into a history of American exceptionalism - the 'American difference' that means so much to its people but which has led it into calamities as well as triumphs. &quot;The American Future: A History&quot; argues that if you want to know what is truly at stake, you need to absorb these stories and understand this history - for understanding is the condition of hope.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="history" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Dec 29 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Dec 02 13:20:45 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Dec 30 05:55:46 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Simon Schama argues that complexity punctuates America's past and that therein lies the answers to the country's current problems, whether regarding the role of the military, immigration problems, or a lack of natural resources.<br/><br/>This is excellent narrative history, and the understanding o...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39131610">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39131610]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/39131610]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>57192777</id>
    <user>
    <id>994755</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Kathy]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/994755-kathy]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-50x66.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">4820957</id>
  <isbn>1847920004</isbn>
  <isbn13>9781847920003</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">20</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The American Future: A History]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4820957.The_American_Future_A_History</link>
  <average_rating>3.87</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>70</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In November 2008 the United States will elect a new President. But the imminent collapse of twenty years of Republican conservativism means the country is already conducting an intense self-examination about the trajectory of its history; how it came to find itself in multiple crises and how an America that began as 'the last, best hope of earth' came to be so suspected and vilified around much of the world. &quot;The American Future: A History&quot;, written by an author who has spent half his life there, takes the long view of how the United States has come to this anguished moment of truth about its own identity as a nation and its place in the world.In each of the chapters devoted to the most compelling issues facing Americans now - the projection of power (&quot;American war&quot;); race, immigration and the problematic promise of e pluribus unum (&quot;American skin&quot;); the intensity of religious conviction in public life (&quot;American fervour&quot;); the mystique of American land and its battles with the imperatives of profit ('American Plenty'- Schama traces the deep history of the present crisis.  Cumulatively the chapters build into a history of American exceptionalism - the 'American difference' that means so much to its people but which has led it into calamities as well as triumphs. &quot;The American Future: A History&quot; argues that if you want to know what is truly at stake, you need to absorb these stories and understand this history - for understanding is the condition of hope.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Fri Jul 31 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun May 24 17:43:53 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Aug 08 09:46:00 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This book was interesting to read, but I don't think that the author made any convincing case about America's future.  His premise was to demonstrate how Americans have resolved conflicts in the past on four significant issues:  the role of the military, immigration, faith versus reason, and managem...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/57192777">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/57192777]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/57192777]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>43315841</id>
    <user>
    <id>695058</id>
    <name><![CDATA[John]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Denver, CO]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/695058-john]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1198164081p3/695058.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1198164081p2/695058.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">4820957</id>
  <isbn>1847920004</isbn>
  <isbn13>9781847920003</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">20</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The American Future: A History]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4820957.The_American_Future_A_History</link>
  <average_rating>3.87</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>70</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In November 2008 the United States will elect a new President. But the imminent collapse of twenty years of Republican conservativism means the country is already conducting an intense self-examination about the trajectory of its history; how it came to find itself in multiple crises and how an America that began as 'the last, best hope of earth' came to be so suspected and vilified around much of the world. &quot;The American Future: A History&quot;, written by an author who has spent half his life there, takes the long view of how the United States has come to this anguished moment of truth about its own identity as a nation and its place in the world.In each of the chapters devoted to the most compelling issues facing Americans now - the projection of power (&quot;American war&quot;); race, immigration and the problematic promise of e pluribus unum (&quot;American skin&quot;); the intensity of religious conviction in public life (&quot;American fervour&quot;); the mystique of American land and its battles with the imperatives of profit ('American Plenty'- Schama traces the deep history of the present crisis.  Cumulatively the chapters build into a history of American exceptionalism - the 'American difference' that means so much to its people but which has led it into calamities as well as triumphs. &quot;The American Future: A History&quot; argues that if you want to know what is truly at stake, you need to absorb these stories and understand this history - for understanding is the condition of hope.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>0</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
            <shelf name="to-read" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Jan 16 20:43:32 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Jan 16 20:46:11 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I've added this to my list to read based on watching Simon Schama on Bill Moyers Journal.  You can learn more at <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/01162009/profile.html">http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/01162009/profile.html</a>.<br/><br/><br/>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/43315841]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/43315841]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>62888259</id>
    <user>
    <id>194858</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Roz]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Canada]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/194858-roz]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1230039488p3/194858.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1230039488p2/194858.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">4820957</id>
  <isbn>1847920004</isbn>
  <isbn13>9781847920003</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">20</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The American Future: A History]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4820957.The_American_Future_A_History</link>
  <average_rating>3.87</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>70</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In November 2008 the United States will elect a new President. But the imminent collapse of twenty years of Republican conservativism means the country is already conducting an intense self-examination about the trajectory of its history; how it came to find itself in multiple crises and how an America that began as 'the last, best hope of earth' came to be so suspected and vilified around much of the world. &quot;The American Future: A History&quot;, written by an author who has spent half his life there, takes the long view of how the United States has come to this anguished moment of truth about its own identity as a nation and its place in the world.In each of the chapters devoted to the most compelling issues facing Americans now - the projection of power (&quot;American war&quot;); race, immigration and the problematic promise of e pluribus unum (&quot;American skin&quot;); the intensity of religious conviction in public life (&quot;American fervour&quot;); the mystique of American land and its battles with the imperatives of profit ('American Plenty'- Schama traces the deep history of the present crisis.  Cumulatively the chapters build into a history of American exceptionalism - the 'American difference' that means so much to its people but which has led it into calamities as well as triumphs. &quot;The American Future: A History&quot; argues that if you want to know what is truly at stake, you need to absorb these stories and understand this history - for understanding is the condition of hope.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Aug 02 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Jul 10 04:33:16 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Aug 02 17:44:16 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Interesting take on American history esp. about George Elliott... would love to know more about this character: &quot;Machiavellian opportunism dressed up as Victorian liberalism and polished with a patina of understated charm&quot;! Great stuff, the whole book is full of similar quotes such as &quot;...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/62888259">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/62888259]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/62888259]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>75019032</id>
    <user>
    <id>2198807</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Rod]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Saint Paul, MN]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2198807-rod-zemke]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-M-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-M-50x66.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">4820957</id>
  <isbn>1847920004</isbn>
  <isbn13>9781847920003</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">20</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[The American Future: A History]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4820957.The_American_Future_A_History</link>
  <average_rating>3.87</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>70</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[In November 2008 the United States will elect a new President. But the imminent collapse of twenty years of Republican conservativism means the country is already conducting an intense self-examination about the trajectory of its history; how it came to find itself in multiple crises and how an America that began as 'the last, best hope of earth' came to be so suspected and vilified around much of the world. &quot;The American Future: A History&quot;, written by an author who has spent half his life there, takes the long view of how the United States has come to this anguished moment of truth about its own identity as a nation and its place in the world.In each of the chapters devoted to the most compelling issues facing Americans now - the projection of power (&quot;American war&quot;); race, immigration and the problematic promise of e pluribus unum (&quot;American skin&quot;); the intensity of religious conviction in public life (&quot;American fervour&quot;); the mystique of American land and its battles with the imperatives of profit ('American Plenty'- Schama traces the deep history of the present crisis.  Cumulatively the chapters build into a history of American exceptionalism - the 'American difference' that means so much to its people but which has led it into calamities as well as triumphs. &quot;The American Future: A History&quot; argues that if you want to know what is truly at stake, you need to absorb these stories and understand this history - for understanding is the condition of hope.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2008</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue Oct 20 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Oct 19 09:07:25 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Oct 26 15:41:27 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This is an interesting book by a prolific author.  A close look at a number of areas of American history--very eclectic.  Would definitely  recommend.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/75019032]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/75019032]]></link>
</review>
    </reviews>
  <popular_shelves>
          <shelf name="to-read" />
          <shelf name="currently-reading" />
          <shelf name="history" />
          <shelf name="non-fiction" />
          <shelf name="american-history" />
          <shelf name="nonfiction" />
          <shelf name="wish-list" />
          <shelf name="politics" />
          <shelf name="university-years" />
      </popular_shelves>
  <book_links>
    <book_link>
  <id>8</id>
  <name><![CDATA[WorldCat]]></name>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=4820957</link>
</book_link>
  </book_links>
</book>
</GoodreadsResponse>