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U.S. History for Dummies

U.S. History for Dummies

List Price: $19.99
Your Price: $13.59
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A Cool Way to Catch Up on History Lessons......
Review: ........if you are like me, and are embarrassed by your lack of knowledge in American History, than this book is a must for you! It reads easily and covers every major event occurring on the land area of the United States from the civilizations who first lived here, to the discovery of the Americas by Europeans to the present day. The writing style is great because it is not the typical way of teaching history where one just memorizes names, dates and events. Wiegand makes every attempt to show the relationships between those names, dates and events in their complexity and that's what holds the story of the history of our country together. He also makes every effort to show different angles of a given event, highlighting the sometimes not so pretty history of our country that you didn't find as a kid in your history book. He also writes in a manner that cannot be deemed particularly PC or anti-PC or particularly conservative or liberal, hence this book is an enjoyable read that covers different views and will only potentially be offensive to those who routinely view events as blank and white and good vs. bad. Overall this book is enjoyable and informative.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: U.S. History for Dummies. by Steve Wiegand
Review: First let me say that I am by no means an expert on histoy (thats why I bought the book!). I feel the author is too opinionated on the events and people for a basic history book(if thats what this book is suppose to be). He also talks about people and events that are not (at least in my opinion) very important in the big picture of U.S.history. I just wanted a book that gave me the basic dates, places and people, not that this book doesn't give this but I felt the author just gave me too much of his bias on history. I'am not saying don't buy the book just know what your getting.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Well written, but ruined by the ideology...
Review: Having been asked by a European friend for a book recommendation to learn the nuts and bolts of American history, I gave this book a pre-read with the idea that it might be a fun way for her to learn the basics. Unfortunately, I found this book to be highly subjective and slanted toward the left. It's a shame because the author is effective in presenting this historical overview in a light, fun manner. If only his ideology hadn't interfered...

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: US History: Facts and Humor
Review: I found this book to be a great refresher for all of the facts I had learned about US History in high school and had since forgotten. Even more importantly, I learned a lot of details not generally included in the names, dates, just-the-facts ma'am genre of most history textbooks. The book is well organized and it is easy to locate information about a specific period of time if you are just flipping through. The humorous and conversational style also make this book great to read cover to cover without feeling like you have to take a test afterward. I would recommend this book to any student needing to supplement their in-class learning and any adult looking to expand their knowledge a bit. I find it refreshing that Wiegand couples his facts with distinct opinions. It is widely known that it is impossible to write about anything, including history, with complete objectivity. The style in which this book is written is not hiding anything and it's a great resource whether you agree with the author's political commentary or not!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A breath of fresh air
Review: I was very pleased to find a new type of book that teaches the basics without all the unnecesary details. Not having a scholarly type of interest in history, I found this book to be educational and fun to read. History is a very dry subject for most people and the author's humor was very entertaining. If you are looking for material for a dissertation, go to the library. Pick any history book because they all contain the same information. If you want to learn about American History by someone not afraid to offend others with the truth, you'll love this book!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Too Biased
Review: Potential readers should know that this book presents US History from a far-left viewpoint. For example, the author suggests that the British held the moral high ground during the Revolutionary War and that the colonists were lucky to win, and that the colonists were primarily a group of incompetent zealots who wanted new territory in which to practice their bigotry and intolerance. He even fringes on being revisionist when he subscribes to the very obscure notion that Davy Crockett didn't really die in defense of the Alamo. The author states early on his view that American history as we know it has been too heavily influenced by writers of European ancestry, and that his is an effort to "set the record straight".
I feel that it's inappropriate to title and market this book as an objective and unbiased book on US History. I do, however, give the book two stars because the subject matter is so fascinating.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Amazing: a modern history book that is not bland
Review: Steve Wiegand has a voice and he's not afraid to use it. It's wonderful to read a general history book with a little edge, a little attitude, and a lot of humor. This is no pussy-cat history, declawed and toned down with an eye to being totally inoffensive. This is fun to read -- and you'll learn something while you're at it. Great supplement for teachers seeking to spice up the curriculum a bit and engage their students.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: U.S. History for Dummies, by Steve Wiegland
Review: There is nothing worse than a book that purports to be nonfiction, but that, instead, pushes an agenda. U.S. History for Dummies suffers from so much liberal bias, that I don't feel I can trust any of the author's "factual" statements.

For instance, in the list of the ten worst presidents, Richard Nixon is number two because "he disgraced the office, and would be No. 1 on this list except that he actually had some far-sighted environmental and foreign policies." On the other hand, Bill Clinton, who wasn't listed as one of the ten worst presidents, was merely the victim of "a series of mini-scandals at the White House," which eventually led to "the Republican-controlled House of Representatives vot[ing] to bring impeachment charges against Clinton."

There is no history here.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent Starter or Refresher
Review: This book is an excellent overview of U.S. history from the original migration of the first Americans across the Bering strait to the present. On many occasion you have to laugh out loud at the way some of it is presented. My 8 year old kid started reading the book after seeing me have such a good time. The book is also intriguing. The author points out that native Ameicans probably crossed over into the Americas from Asia into the US across what today would be Alska. It also seems intuitive when you look at a map of the Western united states and the Pacific. He then goes on to point out that the Majority of native Americans today have a completely different blood-type from most Asians today which strongly indicates the presence of other groups in the Americas during the same period.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: U.S. History for Dummies
Review: This book was more of a fun fact book than a history book. The author fills the book with information not relevant to important history, and skimps on the important stuff. I wouldn't reccomend this book to anyone over the age of 10!


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