Americapedia: Taking the Dumb Out of Freedom

by Jodi Lynn Anderson, Daniel Ehrenhaft, Jodi Lynn Anderson

Aimed at teens who want to know more about the day-to-day workings of the U.S. government, this unique blend of humor and information is a cross between a textbook and a satire.

A crash course for understanding critical events in America and the world, it touches upon a variety of topics-historical and current-and explains how they unfolded and why they are important in the political and governmental arenas. Funny and intelligent writing, very reminiscent of the Daily Show, provides insight into the American electoral system, the world economy, the role religion plays in world conflicts, and America's place in world. The final chapter provides information about how to get involved.

Authors will have a Web site dedicated to the book where information can be updated, teens can read more and find out ways to get involved, can join online discussions, and speak their minds about the issues.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

240 pages, Paperback

First published July 19, 2011

About the author

I write strange and mythical stories about young people.

Reviews

[Deborah Markus]

If you and/or your teen enjoy Daily Show-style humor, this is the civics book for you. It's terrifically funny while grappling with some very serious issues, both historical and present-day.

Warning: If you are religiously observant, you will probably be ticked off by something in chapter 5, "God Bless This Mess: Peaceful Religions and Why They Fight." I'm not religiously observant, and I was a little irritated by some lack of rigor in this chapter. Jesus did not "hang out with a hooker." Mary Magdalene was one woman of many Jesus hung out with, and nowhere in the Bible is she called a prostitute -- that's an idea that became a tradition later. Also, Jesus is not the guy who "didn't think you had to be a fellow Jew to have a unique relationship with God." That was Paul.

So, yeah, okay, this book isn't perfect. But it's very readable, and gave my son and I some good jumping-off points for discussions and "homework" assignments. And my annoyance from chapter 5 melted away in the brilliant chapter 6, "Hot Buttons: The Issues Americans Like to Yell About Most." Which, come to think of it, will probably push some buttons for you. But at least you've been warned.

[Lisa Smith]

3.5. The info is getting dated, and the layout was really distracting-- not a wide enough center margin, too-thin sans serif type, and eleventy billion side bars and meaningless, silly footnotes interrupted their presentation.

[Elaine]

I have mixed feelings about this book. Initially, I loved it. Why? The authors present history in a way that is amusing yet simplified. This would be a great read for teens who aren't natural history lovers. On the other hand, towards the middle of the book I began to pick up on the authors' political opinions. I was hoping not to feel any biases and wishing this was more like the opposing viewpoints series. There's something refreshing about teachers and authors playing devil's advocate and letting the student/reader form his or her own opinions. Still glad I read this though and definitely a huge fan of Jodi Lynn Anderson.

[Amygoepfert]

really enjoyed it but need an updated version. this is from 2011

[John]

It's never a bad time for a civics refresher! Written with a humorous style evocative of The Daily Show, this book covered many topics broadly, but left me wanting more in-depth analysis on most.

[Marisa]

I really enjoyed this snarky, sometimes irreverent take on American History. I read another review that said it was like John Stewart's America The book for teens and I completely agree. Some fun things I learned:

When the authors started writing this book in 2006:
- The Tea Party was not a political movement
- Myspace was the social network of choice. Facebook was a novelty. Twitter didn't exist
- Bernie Madoff was a respected investor.
- no one would have believed you if you'd said Barack Obama was going to be the next president. They might not even have known who he was.

King George III was probably certifiably crazy. And he had bright blue pee. Doctors theorize this was a result of porphyria -- a rare disorder also known to cause dementia.

There's a legend that Tecumseh cursed Harrison and every future president elected in a year ending in zero to die in office. It actually happened, too, until George W. Bush managed to stay alive during his presidency. Darn. Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, Harding, FDR, and JFK all died in office.

About 700,000 Americas go into bankruptcy each year because of medical expenses. More than 15% of the population has "no guaranteed health care."

At least 6 U.S. presidents have attempted to get universal health care passed -- Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Harry Truman, JFK, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton all tried and failed.

I just think the following inset paragraph is kind of funny:
"While our opinions on socialism may be varied and complex, we are sort of amazed at how often pundits use the terms to scare people away from certain political candidates or reforms. Real socialism is a system of government in which there is no private industry or property because everything is owned and run by the central government -- supposedly for the good of all the people. But in practice, this has often proven good only for the people in power in the government. Here are some things we are going to call "socialist" from now on the capitalize on the trend: 1) our front doors, to scare away intruders, and 2) our ice cream, so people won't ask for a bite."

I like that the last chapter of the book is devoted entirely to getting kids involved in politics and activism -- regardless of their personal views. While much of the content could probably be considered leftist, there are certainly lots of examples for more "right wing" or conservative volunteer/activism opportunities.

[Alanna (The Flashlight Reader)]

Can't you tell from the cover that this is going to be a fun read? I would hope that you could.


Do not pick up this book if you're expected college level literature and analysis of U.S. history. You won't find that here. This is for the lovers of all things quirky. You will learn random facts that they probably don't teach you in your history or American government classes. Of course, you'll also learn about events that are well-known within the general public. So don't fret, this isn't completely random information.


One thing that stood out the most for me with Americapedia is that it is an interactive book. I think this is the next step for books in our technology driven world. There is a website to accompany the book, which allows you to get more information and "hands-on" experiences.

[Lupine]

US Politics and history but interesting and fun to read. Would be helpful for anyone who wants to know more about diplomacy, economics, history, foreign affairs but didn't want to wade through a text book. Plus it has lists like "The 21st Century's Top 6 Terrorist Groups and Boy Bands" and "Peas-in-a-Pod Hate Chart"(how Al-Qaeda is like the KKK). As one reviewer noted, it's like John Stewart's America but for teens. A favorite quote: "The United Nations is like Miracle Whip or Heidi Montag. It persists, despite the facts that no one admits to liking it nor understands quite how it got into a position of such prominence."

[Heather C.]

We have had fun reading through this, and I think I might actually buy a copy when I can get my hands on a used one, because I know I would reference it a lot with my kids, although naturally I would edit and censor the opinions I didn't agree with. Smart and sometimes funny, but after I read the botched description of Mormons I am suspicious of anything else that might have a slant or just plain lack of research. I think the web site has updates and corrections, so that might be a fun on-going read.

[Borax]

This was a book we were considering for Summer Reading. It's like the Daily Show's book, America...but less offensive.

That said, it still has some parts that are mildly offensive...and you know what it's like with humor...it can easily be misinterpreted...so I didn't push to put it on the list...but it is very, very enjoyable...for both boys and girls...middle school on up should get a kick out of it and learn something (did you know that people believe that Buddha laughed when he was born?...I didn't until I read the book. Fascinating!). Great for the beach or the bathroom.

[Phil Oppenheim]

If you have to bluff your way through conversations with smart adults -- or smarter kids -- start here. This answers all the questions you keep asking about the stuff you forgot from your grade school Social Studies classes, presented in a fun way that makes you glad you asked in the first place.

[Tracy]

This was kind of a slow go for me. Part of it was the snarky humor, but that could be my age :), I didn't find some things humorous. But they do give a really good explanation about how things work sort of in our country. The source notes, and bibliography are excellant.

[Lynda]

This was a fantastic book! It was amusing and informative and actually made it fun to learn about facts about our government, from Washington to Obama. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am considering purchasing it.

[Ann]

Love this book. I liked all the little blurbs that were a little snarky but I totally learned some fascinating information about America. Like John Stewart's America for teens.

[Elsa]

Short, snarky tidbits on American history, politics and economics, with an undertone of social consciousness. Nice!

[J.H. Trumble]

This is just a browser. Cool stuff. I'll be returning to it again and again!

[Ben Gant]

Cool History/Civics book