I don't know if its just because I am in high school AP class, but does this book suck to anyone? I mean, I can't say that its not informative, its probably of good quality in terms of knowledge. The simple fact, though, is that the book is a pain to read, especially at the pace that we are reading it. We're reading Zinn, this, and another smaller book in my class and at the rate that we're going (Chapter 10 zinn, 25 American Pageant, and we finished the small little workbook thingy), its toooo much to take in with midterms next week. I think I'm going to fail.

Well I enjoy most of the book. I can see where your coming from though. The chapters about new American lifestyles in between the war and foriegn policy chapters are pretty dull.

Just make sure to read carefully though. During those time periods you could miss a lot of little details that will show up later. But that's what this site is for isn't it? I am not saying don't read, but if you want a quick over view with imprtant details, this site is it.

You're reading Zinn? :rolleyes:

I hope you're just reading it so that your teacher can make a point about biased historians... just make sure you don't take Zinn's word at face value.

Can either of you tell me what Zinn is? I have never heard of it before.

Howard Zinn is a Communist historical revisionist who seizes negative aspects of history and promotes them as the "untold story of history," trampling on accepted doctrine along the way. Oftentimes the things he says aren't objectively untrue, but the spin that he puts on them (not to mention the hefty doses of his own ultraliberal opinions) makes them misleading at best, and sometimes even completely wrong.

I've read selections from his most well-known book - "A People's History of the United States" - and while I would certainly agree that some history books do not give enough time to the downtrodden members of society, a lot of what he says is incredibly obnoxious. I encourage you to get it at your library if you have any spare time - chances are that you'll have to read it anyway at some point in your high school or college career, and it never hurts to have some background with it. Plus, it will give you a head start on having a handle on Zinn's wacked-out political views.

Alright, thanks.

We are using the twelfth edition book. It is....okay, but I do agree that with everything going on it is kind of a pain to have to look up everything that I have previously read to get a better understanding of the material.

I've got the twelfth edition as well, and it's really quite boring. Although, it is better than my Modern World History book from last year (sophomore year) and I do agree that it is extremely informative. There is a ton of helpful stuff in there...but there's also a ton of stuff that I don't think is all that important. I do like the little tidbits they have about the colonists and their little children's verses and things like that. That adds a little more insight into the lives of the people that have come before us.

You're absolutely right.

This book is kind of boring if you're not that interested in U.S. history...

For me, whenever I get sleepy, I simply went to sleep...Although I might wake up and find out it's 11 o'clock in the evening...[laugh] Then, I would feel extremely refreshed; whatever lays in front of me - I can conquer it...lol

Well I agree some chapters are just plain out dry and then there are some chapters that are at least a little interesting. It depends on how much you like history and how much you are willing to learn the book is very thorough in giving you information I read if for my AP U.S History Class and I usually read the AP Notes First and then the chapter. The beginning chapters are just plain snooze but the later ones are not that bad

Okay, I know that this is an old topic... but THANK YOU!!!! (I just had to say it ;) )

A more reasonable account of what Zinn is perhaps trying to say would be Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen. It focuses more what textbooks leave out and how they are still biased in a way that hurts student and society. He does not, however, present any kind of theory or philosophy on how we should live our lives. He simply, or not so simply, points out that our present textbooks are not accomplishing what they should accomplish.

Guess I'll have to actually read that book to understand the "or not so simply" part.... *It is the 2nd time you've mentioned it.... and if I recall correctly, I swore I'd read it approx. a week ago....*

As for textbooks not "accomplishing what they should accomplish", I disagree. I think that textbooks are an introduction to history and that a good student will realize this and supplement with other view points. It's impossible to create a 100% "unbiased" book.

Zinn was interesting (:rolleyes:) to me because he presented an AMAZING contrast alongside The American Pageant. He irritated the crap out of me about 99.999% of the time, but at least I got a different point of view.

That is the problem. As Loewen maintains, the majority of people take textbooks to be the gods of history. His claim is that most people accept the information they present as everything important for the subject they cover, and if something appears in textbooks, it must be true.

He mostly argues that they do not cover the atrocities all the "good guys" have committed, and we are only hurting ourselves by creating these archetypal American heroes that one can never hope to be like because we never reveal their "problems." For example, students very rarely learn about Helen Keller beyond her childhood. Helen Keller: the blind/deaf girl who persevered through the impossible. What is almost NEVER mentioned is that when she grew up she became a very outspoken Communist who was highly critical of the American government. He feels that by leaving out such important aspects of her life, we place our heroes on an unattainable pedestal and leave them in the dust of folklore, rather than people we should aspire to be like.

Loewen also specifically names multiple textbooks throughout his book. He lists American Pageant as one of the best textbooks, though he is still not satisfied with it.