I bought this book for my AP US history summer assignment, and although i've only read the first 10 chapters of this book i think it is very comprehensive and has many quality features. This is definitely a good book for history teachers and students.

American history can best be understood if the fundamental conditions that control both the social lives of ordinary people and the practice of politics are investigated through the decades. This means moving beyond conventional ways of organizaing a book around political events that historians like to think of as "turning points". Social change has a pace and rhythm of its own, and understaning its flow enables us to see poliitical changes in a new light.

The authors have divided American history into three unique periods: Preindustrial America, from the beginning of the sixteenth century to the 1820s; Industrializing America, from the 1820s to the 1920s; and State and Society, from the 1920s to the present. Each of these periods has its own logic and contains special kinds of human relationships that prodice a distinct history of the United States.

I grew up reading political and military history; that's what I was taught in high school and college, for the most part. When I took over my school's Advanced Placement program in US History, I decided that while I could teach the traditional forms of history, such as politics and the wars, I simply didn't know enough social history. Given the fact that social history is the dominant form of history today (and realizing that there simply wasn't that much new to say about politics or wars), I turned to this masterful textbook. My students love this book: it's readable, entertaining, and thorough. I add in the political and military stuff, when it's needed. About the only major hole in the text is some short-changing of the Monroe Doctrine, which is the biggest error that I could see. Teachers have to choose textbooks that address their shortcomings; if you don't know your political or military history, choose another textbook. But if you have the same background I do (and most people over thirty do), then choose this one. It's been very successful in my classroom.

My husband is one of those crazy great lakes surfers. Over the years, I have traveled to various surf spots around the country and into Mexico with him (vacations are always governed by where the surf will be at that time). I have found that the great lakes surfers are the most misunderstood surfers around. Most ocean surfers just can't believe that there really are places to surf on the great lakes. Do you know how many times I have heard "surfing Lake Michigan, you've got to be kidding, were?" Grand Haven has one of the best spots around on the big lake. It was great to finally see a book letting people know that there are quite a few Great Lakes Surfers out there and they do know how hold their own while riding big waves. I personally have seen waves at Grand Haven in the fall stretching to 10 feet or higher. That does not stop surfers from going out and showing off their stuff. I am very glad to see that the great lakes surfers can hold their own in the surfing community along side ocean surfers and this book helps show that.
My husband has owned this book since if first came out and I can only say one more thing about it "Awesome Book!"

I have lived in Michigan for two years. I will be here two more because of my job and I will say this. I grew up in California and surfed most of my life and consider myself a "soul surfer". Someone who rides waves not to be seen but strictly for myself. I have talked to people when there was not so much developement on some ofthe coast line of California and what that was like. No crowds and no kooks. Michigan surfing is like that now. Michigan will never be California or the northwest coast but it is what a person (man, woman or child) that loves to surf can dream about. Get out of the car walk to the shore and paddle out wihtout passing neon surf shops and a bunch of "dudes" with brand new sticks that rarely get wet. Also, there is no sneaking out onto "private" property to get rid of crowds that are always present in California. I have surfed The Strand, Santa Cruz, Hunington, and numerous other places in California and Florida and I will say that I have never met more people that are simply surfing for the love of it. In short a great book about one of the few places left actually "just surf".

I grew up in Grand Haven/Spring Lake Michigan and moved away after high school. I have told everyone I know about surfing the Great Lakes and nobody understood until now. Thank you for putting out a book with so much soul. The Californian who said, "Small waves, Small book," well, I say, "Small mind, Small (...)" This book isn't about wave size it is about dedication and love for surfing, no matter what the size of the wave, or temp. of the water..It is not about the color of your wetsuits or coolness of your board, it is a book for anyone who loves the water and surfing. The people who took the time to compile their experiences are an inspiration to any surfer. They show dedication and comeradery. I will remember them everytime I get in the water.
This book is worth getting wherever you surf.

Thank you great lake warriors.
Stefanie Paige Friedman

I own several wildflower identification books, and this one is among my favorites. I often use it in conjunction with other books, but it also does well on its own. I like the fact that the subjects are listed by color - this makes it much easier for me to differentiate species when out in the woods. I have given this book as a gift to flower-loving friends.

I've been teaching in the outdoors using field guides with novices for 18 years, so I offer this advice to assist beginners in choosing a wildflower guide. I have used both this book and the Newcomb book and greatly prefer this one, although Newcomb's is very good. Newcomb's uses a series of keys, which I guess some people find more "sophisticated." Although the key in Newcombs isn't hard to use, I find that the Peterson guide is faster and easier to use in the field. I have also observed that beginners are less likely to make mistakes using the Peterson wildflower guide. The big plus of the Peterson book is the identification system. The flowers are first arranged by color and the book is color coded. Although wild plants may not always be showing their flower colors, 9 times out of ten when the amateur is identifying a flowering plant, it will be in bloom. You can use the Peterson guide to learn the key characterisitics of a blooming plant so that later on when it is not blooming you will still be able to find it in the book and recoginze it.

In the next stage of the Peterson wildflower guide's organization, the plants are arranged by similar visual characteristics. There is a simple outline and description of this system at the beginning of the book. The book utilizes helpful icons, which are featured at the tops of all the descriptive pages for quick thumb-through reference. I have found this icon system very helpful in teaching plant identification because it provides a systematic approach that the beginner can pick up quickly and easily. The Peterson system greatly facilitates intial accuracy of identification at the level of plant family. Once you learn the system of what to look for when observing a plant, the icons allow speed and efficiency when using the book in the field.

At the final stage of identification, the species level, the Peterson guide has excellent written descriptions and the important subtle differences between species are well highlighted, with both text and arrows on the drawings. As other reviewers have stated, the Peterson book has more illustrations than Newcomb, and the highlighted habitat/range descriptions also help in quickly placing a plant. The black and white illustrations are not bothersome since you already know the flower color, and line drawings show key characteristics clearly. The use of illustrations instead of photos is always preferred in a field guide, even though photos seem like a good idea at first glance. A good illustrator shows the plant in the best light and makes sure the key features are visible and prominent.

I have used this book for 20 years to identify wildflowers successfully; the drawings and paintings capture the essence of the flower in a way no photo does; the book includes many less commonly found plants so you are more likely to find what you're looking for; and it is organized by flower color which is most likely to be what drew your attention in the first place. Excellent reference, easily used.

I know specific events in this book that are very biased torward the African American's in this period, if you are looking for a book that is more factually correct and sound... I would recommend The Great Deppression: America in the 1930s by T.H. Watkins... it is much better

Most historians agree that the Second World War is the single most important event shaping and directing subsequent developments throughout the balance of the 20th century. Indeed, no single other event so shaped the world or influenced the events leading to that war than did the great worldwide depression. In this wonderful book by historian Robert McElvaine, we are treated to a terrific account of the human ordeal of the 1930s, which, as noted historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr. Notes, "does justice to the social and cultural dimensions of economic crisis as well as to its political and economic impact." Here we take a busman's tour into a world literally turned upside down by the massive and systematic economic dislocations that suddenly arose in the late 1920s.

Moreover, this is a quite fair-minded and scrupulously researched effort that imaginatively recreates the amazing social, economic, and political conditions of the Great Depression for the reader in a most entertaining and edifying way. Today it is difficult, especially for younger readers, to understand just how traumatic and dangerous the crisis in democracy that the events surrounding the Great Depression were, not only in this country, but also in all of the constitutional democracies of the west. To the minds of many fair-minded Americans, the capitalist system had failed, and it was the man in the street with his family who bore the cruelest brunt of this failure. Millions were set adrift, and everywhere ordinary human beings were stripped of their possessions, their livelihood, and their dignity as thousands and then millions of businesses and enterprises went bankrupt.

For a time it appeared the government itself would lost the confidence of the people, and that civil order would be sacrificed along with all of the material dispossessions millions had already suffered. Socialism and even communism flourished as alternative answers in academic circles, and no one seemed sure or even confident that the system could be saved or resurrected as it continued to fail. The rise from the ashes of the Great Depression was uncertain, fitful, and quite painful, and only the advent of the circumstances surrounding the Second World War really cured the economic ills that Americans struggled with in those times. The fact that we seem to have forgotten the fact that capitalism is a god that can and does fail is worrying to the author, and he examines some of the dangerous and misguided tacit assumptions of contemporary politicians such as the supply side "voodoo" economics of Ronald Reagan's administration.

I found the book to be a valuable aid in understanding how ordinary Americans, forged in the crucible of hard times and make-do, were given the character, self-reliance, and native ability to improvise that so influenced our conduct in the Second World War. Many scholars attribute our military success to the brilliant efforts by our young company and platoon leaders both in Europe and in the Pacific with providing the decisive ingredient to win the war in terms of the hand-to-hand combat. As David Kennedy argues so persuasively in "Freedom From Fear" (see my review), it was the young Americans whose characters were forged in the hard times of the Great Depression who so the moral courage and strength of character to rise up from their foxholes to win the Second World War. This is a wonderful book, and I highly recommend it.

To those that were disappointed in this book because it was biased, I have news for you. Every historian has a "slant." It directs our research, our writing, our outline. You must approach every history book with this in mind. If you don't find bias in a history book, you probally agree with the historian's "slant." With this said, I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

The book is, predictably, awash in Left Wing garbage. I would not waste my time with it if I were you. Linder simply made the choice to align himself with the wrong people, namely, Red Danny Ortega's Communist punks. Ortega was in bed with the USSR, and why anyone would support Ortega's regime is beyond comprehension. President Reagan came along just in the nick of time. Too bad Linder got in the way, but sometimes we make bad choices that are very costly.

Longtime pro-Sandinista activist Joan Kruckewit's apotheistic account of "red-diaper" baby, part-time clown and part-time Sandinista militia man (read the AP, LA Times and Dallas Morning News accounts at the time of Linder's killing) is a truly painful exercise in dreadful, warmed over "Sandalista" tripe. Tendentious, poorly written and dull, and playing fast and loose with the facts. The ultimate critique must be that the red and black mafia for which Ben Linder gave his life hasn't won an election since 1984 and is a totally discredited and corrupt political force. A really misleading and mediocre book about a controversial period in Latin American politics that polarized America.

If you are one of the many people who risked their lives when they traveled to Central America during the 1980's this book is for you! If you missed that experience but want to know what would motivate someone to risk their lives for peace and social justice by going to Nicaragua and participating in the revolution then, this book is for you!

During the 1980's U.S. foreign policy in Central America was driven by an obsessive effort to overthrow the Sandinistas in Nicaragua. The Sandinistas had overthrown a dictator and were developing a society that put people before profits. They set up free health care, carried out a massive literacy campaign, and gave land to small farmers.

This threat of "a good example" was countered by the U.S. which created a mercenary army (the Contras) who set out to overthrow the Nicaraguan government. Tactics included killing teachers, destroying health clinics, and forcing the Sandinistas to spend more and more of their resources on the military.

Ben Linder was an engineer from Portland who put his life on the line to support the people of Nicaragua. Ben was also a clown and often put on his red nose and clown make-up to juggle and unicycle in poor neighborhoods, where children had never seen a clown. He worked in a small rural village in Northern Nicaragua, maybe 30 miles from my communities sister city of Telpaneca, near the Honduran border. Like the Fresnan's who built a school in Telpaneca during the Contra War, Ben was working on a hydroelectric project trying in a positive way to support the revolution. THE DEATH OF BEN LINDER, THE STORY OF A NORTH AMERICAN IN SANDINISTA NICARAGUA is an insightful book that reminds us why people are willing to put their lives on the line for a cause they believe in. It shows the tragic results of U.S. foreign policy that seeks to make the world safe for corporations seeking to maximize profits.

"Who Owns History" is a interesting and informative collection of essays by Columbia History professor, Eric Foner, that never quite answer the question posed by the book's title. In the book's preface, Foner points out that history has been and always will be rewritten by different generations of people to answer questions posed by the issues of their times. This is especially true when present problems closely resemble those of a past era. During the Civil Rights struggle in the 1950s and 60s for example, new historical interpretations of the Reconstruction era began to emerge, largely because the political and ethical issues practically mirrored each other. Foner launches into the book by stating that History is simultaneously owned by everyone and by no one. But while the chapters that follow are interesting and worth reading in their own right, they never really examine the ideological struggle between various interests to control historical discourse. Some of the more interesting essays are described in the sections below.

SOCIALISM
In his essay entitled "Why Is There No Socialism", Foner examines issues such as the diverse background of the working class that ostensibly contributed to racial, social, and political conflicts, the narrowness of the American electoral system, government oppression. Foner concludes that while all of these factors played an important role in preventing the rise of socialism in America, none of them were the deciding factor. In comparing the development of class consciousness in Europe and America, Foner argues that the comparative basis of the question itself may be flawed since it is possible after all, that socialism has been on the decline in Europe. Foner concludes that time will tell whether the United States is behind Europe in the development of socialism or ahead of Europe in recognizing its decline.

AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP
In his essay, "Who Is An American", Foner examines how the definition of American citizenship has evolved throughout the nation's history. American citizenship wasn't clearly delineated, according to Foner, until shortly after the Civil War. The Civil Rights Act of 1866 granted citizenship to all people born in the United States (except native Americans) and defined the rights of citizenship regardless of ethnicity. The subsequent failure of Reconstruction, however, reinforce the racial concept of citizenship among White leaders, particularly in the South who successfully overturned many of the rights spelled out in the Civil Rights Act of 1866. During the great migrations at the beginning of the Twentieth Century, the power elite came to identify citizenship with wages. Those who made money were Americans, and those who were willing to work for slave wages (Eastern Europeans, Irish, Italians, and other "undesirables" according to the attitude of the times) were not. Subsequent historical events including the Cold War, the expanding economy, and the Civil Rights Movement added a civic definition to what constituted American citizenship. An American was defined as any freedom loving individual willing to work and to defend democracy. Foner concludes that citizenship is not a Whiggish progress toward greater and greater freedom, but a more complex and dynamic one in which gains are made and lost depending on historical circumstances.

BLACKS AND THE US CONSTITUTION
Foner's essay "Blacks and the US Constitution details how an increasingly conservative Supreme Court has gradually rolled back many of the civil rights gains made by blacks particularly in areas like equal treatment in the workplace. Ironically, many of the conservative Supreme Court justices do this for the sake of preserving the "original intent" of the founding fathers with respect to the Constitution, while ignoring the fact that they deliberately structured the language of the sacred parchment to enable modification as unforeseen critical circumstances arose. Foner indicates that to restrict civil rights and other forms of egalitarian legislation in fact has little to do with the "original intent" of the founding fathers so much as the ideological intent of conservative judges.

"Who Owns History" will appeal to anyone who is interested in how historical interpretations change according to the requirements of different generations. It will also interest anyone with an interest in progressive issues such as labor, race relations, and the development of different ideologies. This book will probably not appeal to those who believe that history should be taught as a uniform and immutable set of ideas used to guide students to a "correct" understanding of their country and its values.

Foner is not one to beat around the bush. He tackles pressing social and political issues head on. In this remarkable collection of essays, he has taken aim at several key issues which define contemporary society. The most compelling essay is probably "Blacks and the U.S. Constitution," in which he examines the motivations behind the conservative desire to read the Constitution in terms of its "original intent."

As Foner notes, this is more a political than a historical argument. By narrowing the interpretation of the Constitution to its "original intent," conservatives hope to avoid addressing the more thorny issues which the later amendments attempt to address. He views the current decisions by the Supreme Court as part of an overall drive toward "Redemption," similar to the period of readjustment, in which states nullified much of the Civil Rights legislation which was enacted by the Radical Republicans during Reconstruction. This eventually led to the notorious era of Jim Crow.

Foner views history as a continuum, not a set of isolated events, which can be referred to to bolster one's political arguments, whether they be conservative or liberal. Like his mentor, Richard Hofstadter, Foner rebels against consensus opinion, asking readers to form minds of their own. The essays are gritty and compelling and serve as a reminder of the intellectual prowess of one of the foremost historians of our time.

I had the pleasure of reading Foner's 'Reconstruction' almost contemporaneously with this book, although this is a much more delightful read. Foner's history of Reconstruction is the best on the subject I have read, and the most authoritive. And this book looks at the role that politics and society have not just in making history, but in reshaping it, burying it, reviving it, reliving it, and oftimes ignoring it or running from it. Certainly Foner's expertise on the Reconstruction period provides a crucible for him to look at how historical events can be interpreted, misinterpreted, and twisted from various political and ideological perspectives.

We are watching the Civil War reopen again with the rebel flag wagging in the South again, and the title of Foner's book hits that situation right between the eyes.

"Who Owns History?" is a great question, and the book provides a thought provoking answer.

Of course, in true professorial style, the answer is just more questions, and different perspectives. But interesting ones.

This book is good for the southern half of the lower penninsula, but it is lacking in the Northern half from what I have found. I too have discovered that it shows roads where there are none, doesn't show roads that are there, and quite frequently (probably 30%) has the wrong road name. Don't venture into Norther Michigan and depend on this map or you'll end up in the middle of a National forest lost with out a reliable map to get you out. However, it is usually accurate in regards to highways and most main county roads.

Exploring the U.P. and northern lower Michigan has become a weekend tradition for myself and my friends over the past year or two, and since picking up a copy of this book, our DeLorme Atlas has become dogeared from all the use it has gotten. There is simply no better map in existence unless you have access to USGS maps (and those aren't very portable). With this atlas and a GPS you could be knocked out and dropped anywhere in Michigan, and when you came to, you could find your way out. Even without a GPS it is an incredible resource. This is, quite simply, THE definitive Michigan atlas. Accept no substitute.

I'm sorry to see some of my fellow Michiganders give this gazetteer a poor review, because I think it is excellent. My mother has a fear of driving on the interstate highways, so she's getting a copy for Christmas. And imagine how much better your vacations could be if you took to the back roads!

Garraty's book The American Nation was informative and interesting. It provided information needed to help the student's in my AP History class. Granted, it was not perfect and was confusing at times, but all in all, it provided a good, detailed description of our history. Here are the pros and cons of Garraty's book. PROS: 1). Garraty is knowledgeable in his assessment of history 2). The book is very helpful with its timelines at the end of each chapter 3). Garraty explains the gist of every major event and sometimes non-major event 4). It's the only book where our class actually worshipped :) 5). IT WILL BE HELPFUL FOR AP HISTORY AND THE NATIONAL EXAM. I (personally) felt confident with the outcome of my exam, but that could also be due in part to my teacher who really complemented with Garraty. 6). It could be a GREAT paperweight! CONS: 1). It's not a good book to keep in your backpack all day long 2). Sometimes Garraty likes to force his opinions on certain historical figures ( he likes Hamilton, but not Jefferson) 3). There ARE events he doesn't cover that many might think was important or he might undercover events that many might think was important.

That's about it for the pros and cons, but remember these are just my opinions! Hope they helped! Good luck in AP History or whatever you're doing in regards to this book!!

Kudos to Garraty for his newest edition. I was a student in AP US History and thoroughly enjoyed the book. I received a 5 on the AP exam (highest possible score ranked 1-5). I wholeheartedly recommend the text to anyone serious about succeeding in AP US History or if you just want to refresh your knowledge of US History. Within the American Nation, you will find all sorts of ancedotes told by a preeminent raconteur. If you can not remember the "Sumner-Brooks" affair, you will enjoy reading Garraty's skilled account of that affair to remember.

This text is absolutely unsurpassed in terms of clarity, conciseness and general usefulness. I first used Garraty's book in 8th grade, then again as a supplement to some other texts in a U.S. A.P. class in high school (I got a 5 on the test, which I am confident is owed entirely to Garraty) and still use it for general reference in college. In a little over 1000 pages, Garraty covers just about every major event in United States history in interesting and extremely clear prose. I have yet to find any book that communicates such an enormous amount of information in such a small amount of space with such an enormous degree of clarity. I promise that this book will not only improve your understanding of U.S. history, but will also serve as a lifelong reference source.

Quality of photos was very poor. I want to see details of the various lighthouse not photos of the sky, trees or water. Photos of dark shaded lighthouse against a dark background on a very clouded day does not make for good photography. I have seen better pictures on the internet.

The photgraphy is beautiful and the stories well written and informative. Directions to lighthouses are pretty good. I was disappointed that every light was not included. They actually only cover selected lighthouses. I have since found a real good book that covers all lighthouses in the eastern Great Lakes.

There are directions and other info for finding and visiting lighthouses. They do not always show all lights for a given area. The photos are all color. I own 3 of these books. There are not many other guide books out there so if you are looking for guide books these are good to have....

While this book provides a large number of listings about the local parks and other places, there are serious flaws. First of all, there are no maps (!), and directions are minimal or missing from most listings. Second, a lot of the descriptions contain more details about the author's dogs than about the places they visited, which is fun, but largely unhelpful. Finally, a lot of the information is out of date (although that's par for the course with any guidebook). As a resident of Chicago, I found it only slightly useful. I think a visitor to the city would have a hard time using it at all.

A travel book without maps strikes me as not much of a travel book at all. While there is a lot of info. in this book, it's not easy-to-use. I'd rather have some directions, maps and tips than stories about Luna and Chaser and what kind of spaghetti sauce they prefer.

If you have a dog and live in Chicago, this book is a must. Just flipping through this book, you can quickly learn how dog friendly the Chicago are is.

Having recently moved to Madison, WI, I didn't realize what I had until it was gone (most parks prohibit dogs, and the designated "dog parks" are usually over run with extremely aggressive, untrained dogs that are a serious danger to you and your pet).

As one reviewer notes, you should phone ahead on some of the places in the book. The Renaissance Hotel downtown will allow small dogs (generally less than 15lbs), and even has a section on the room service menu for your furry friend.