Americanon : an unexpected U.S. history in thirteen bestselling books / Jess McHugh.
Material type:
TextPublisher: [New York] : Dutton, [2021]Description: x, 419 pages ; 24 cmContent type: - text
- unmediated
- volume
- 9781524746636
- 1524746630
- Unexpected US history in thirteen bestselling books
- American canon
| Item type | Home library | Collection | Call number | Materials specified | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adult Book
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Main Library | NonFiction | 973 M151 | Available | 33111010521140 | ||||
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Adult Book
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Northport Library | NonFiction | 973 M151 | Available | 33111009845591 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
"An elegant, meticulously researched, and eminently readable history of the books that define us as Americans. For history buffs and book-lovers alike, McHugh offers us a precious gift." -Jake Halpern, Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times bestsellingauthor
"With her usual eye for detail and knack for smart storytelling, Jess McHugh takes a savvy and sensitive look at the 'secret origins' of the books that made and defined us. . . . You won't want to miss a one moment of it."- Brian Jay Jones, author of Becoming Dr. Seuss and the New York Times bestselling Jim Henson
The true, fascinating, and remarkable history of thirteen books that defined a nation
Surprising and delightfully engrossing, Americanon explores the true history of thirteen of the nation's most popular books. Overlooked for centuries, our simple dictionaries, spellers, almanacs, and how-to manuals are the unexamined touchstones for American cultures and customs. These books sold tens of millions of copies and set out specific archetypes for the ideal American, from the self-made entrepreneur to the humble farmer.
Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography, How to Win Friends and Influence People, Webster's Dictionary, Emily Post's Etiquette - Americanon looks at how these ubiquitous books have updated and reemphasized potent American ideals-about meritocracy, patriotism, or individualism-at crucial moments in history. Old favorites like the Old Farmer's Almanac and Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book are seen in this new way-not just as popular books but as foundational texts that shaped our understanding of the American story.
Taken together, these books help us understand how their authors, most of them part of a powerful minority, attempted to construct meaning for the majority. Their beliefs and quirks-as well as personal interests, prejudices, and often strange personalities-informed the values and habits of millions of Americans, woven into our cultural DNA over generations of reading and dog-earing. Yet their influence remains uninvestigated--until now.
What better way to understand a people than to look at the books they consumed most, the ones they returned to repeatedly, with questions about everything from spelling to social mobility to sex. This fresh and engaging book is American history as you've never encountered it before.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
The old farmer's almanac -- Webster's speller and dictionary (1783/1828) -- Benjamin Franklin's autobiography -- The McGuffey readers (1836) -- A handbook to American womanhood -- Etiquette in society, in business, in politics and at home -- How to win friends and influence people (1936) -- Betty Crocker's picture cook book (1950) -- Everything you always wanted to know about sex* (*but were afraid to ask) (1969) -- Surviving the eighties -- Epilogue.
"What does it take to be a good American? And who gets to decide? Journalist Jess McHugh examines thirteen seemingly innocuous, mega-bestselling reference books, guidebooks, and self-help books that have become blueprints for core American values and shaped our national story"-- Provided by publisher.