{"product_id":"americanon-an-unexpected-u-s-history-in-thirteen-bestselling-books-paperback","title":"Americanon: An Unexpected U.S. History in Thirteen Bestselling Books - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eJess McHugh\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"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.\"\u003cb\u003e--Jake Halpern, \u003c\/b\u003e Pulitzer Prize winner and \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author \u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"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.\"--\u003cb\u003eBrian Jay Jones, \u003c\/b\u003e author of \u003ci\u003eBecoming Dr. Seuss\u003c\/i\u003e and the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling \u003ci\u003eJim Henson\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe true, fascinating, and remarkable history of thirteen books that defined a nation\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003eSurprising and delightfully engrossing, \u003ci\u003eAmericanon\u003c\/i\u003e 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003ci\u003eBenjamin Franklin's Autobiography, How to Win Friends and Influence People, \u003c\/i\u003eWebster's Dictionary, Emily Post's \u003ci\u003eEtiquette\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eAmericanon\u003c\/i\u003e 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\u003ci\u003e Old Farmer's Almanac\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eBetty Crocker's Picture Cook Book\u003c\/i\u003e are seen in this new way--not just as popular books but as foundational texts that shaped our understanding of the American story. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 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.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eJess McHugh\u003c\/b\u003e is a writer and researcher whose work has appeared across a variety of national and international publications, including \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Nation, TIME, The Paris Review, The Guardian, The New Republic, New York \u003c\/i\u003emagazine's\u003ci\u003e The Cut, Fortune, Village Voice, The Believer, \u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eLapham's Quarterly, \u003c\/i\u003e among others. She has reported stories from four continents on a range of cultural and historical topics, from present-day Liverpool punks to the history of 1960s activists in Greenwich Village.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 432\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.94 x 8.19 x 5.51 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e June 07, 2022\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51766403858720,"sku":"9781524746643","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/884b992b05d23269fa0d63cac0bd02fb.webp?v=1780292020","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/americanon-an-unexpected-u-s-history-in-thirteen-bestselling-books-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}