Examines the American obsession with self-reliance and how it has led to inequality, self-blame, and shifted the responsibility for survival onto the backs of ordinary people. "The promise that you can "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" is central to the story of the American Dream. It's the belief that if you work hard and rely on your own resources, you will eventually succeed. However time and again we have seen how this foundational myth,...

The author, known for his landmark work in American journalism and for his other books, The Greatest Generation, and Boom!, now turns his attention to the challenges that face America in the new millennium, to offer reflections on how we can restore America's greatness. "What happened to the America I thought I knew?" he writes. "Have we simply wandered off course, but only temporarily? Or have we allowed ourselves to be so divided that we are easy...

Character sketches and timeless snapshots of the eccentric denizens of an American city reflect Eisner's comic genius and powers of observation.

Sheds new light on American politics, culture, and society in a collection of essays that addresses such topics as gambling, Margaret Mitchell's "Gone with the Wind," the history of Harley-Davidson, sports, and other colorful aspects of American life.

"This supernatural American road trip fantasy tells the story of a war between the ancient and modern gods. Shadow Moon gets out of jail only to discover his wife is dead. Defeated, broke, and uncertain where to go from here, he meets the mysterious Mr. Wednesday, who employs him to serve as his bodyguard--thrusting Shadow into a deadly world where ghosts of the past come back from the dead, and a god war is imminent."--

In every generation, Americans have worried about the solidarity of the nation. Since the days of the Mayflower, those already settled here have wondered how newcomers with different cultures, values, and (frequently) skin color would influence America. Would the new groups create polarization and disharmony? Thus far, the United States has a remarkable track record of incorporating new people into American society, but acceptance and assimilation...

Witty, incisive, at times prophetic, and always original, this collection offers the best of Peggy Noonan's writing. The book travels the path of her remarkable career, showing how she became one of the most influential voices in America. It begins with an essay about Noonan's motivations as a writer and thinker, followed by a personal talk on the day the space shuttle Challenger exploded and the drafting of the speech Ronald Reagan would soon deliver....

"The Farewell was published at the end of Washington's second term. It was reprinted in newspapers across the country. The President began the letter during his first term intending to retire but was persuaded by Hamilton and Jefferson to run for a second. By the end of that term he was the object of scurrilous press attacks and alarmed by the growing partisan bitterness. Fearful for the country's future, Washington pled with his countrymen to resist...