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This survey attempts to help US students put events in the history of their country in a global context. The book covers the social political, economic, legal and cultural aspects of history, and aims to take into account a wide range of modern historical opinion. This edition includes material on the Gulf War. There is also expanded coverage on the counter-culture and new material on the FBI's surveillance of Luther King. An instructor's manual and test bank is available. ... Read more

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From the Gilded Age to the end of World War II, what, where, when, and how Americans ate all changed radically. Migration to urban areas took people away from their personal connection to food sources. Immigration, primarily from Europe, and political influence of the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Pacific brought us new ingredients, cuisines, and foodways. Technological breakthroughs engendered the widespread availability of refrigeration, as well as faster cooking times. The invention of the automobile augured the introduction of Òroad food,Ó and the growth of commercial transportation meant that a wider assortment of foods was available year round. Major food crises occurred during the Depression and two world wars.

Food in the United States, 1890-1945 documents these changes, taking students and general readers through the period to explain what our foodways say about our society. This intriguing narrative is enlivened with numerous period anecdotes that bring America history alive through food history.

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Nicely organized into four major sections (Food Stuffs; Food Preparation; Eating habits; Concepts of Diet and Nutrition and Food
It was in 1893 that the United States Supreme Court designated the tomato as a vegetable for the purposes of trade. In 1903 James Dole began canning pineapple in order to make it easier and more reliable to sell them elsewhere in this country and around the world. In 1923 the ice cream industry was revolutionized with the introduction of Good Humor bars. The commercial soda pop industry began with the introduction of 7-Up in 1929. Innovations where also happening in the kitchen as well with the 1930 introduction of the Sunbeam Mixmaster. The American military saw innovations as well, such as Spam from the Hormel Company in 1937 and K Rations in 1944. The federal government contributed to the regulating of the food industry with The National Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906. All of these fascinating bits of food, food industry, and domestic food preparations (and so much more!) are laid out by Megan J. Elias (Assistant Professor of History, Queensborough Community College, Bayside, New York) in the pages of "Food In The United States 1890-1945", the newest title in the outstanding Greenwood Press 'Food in American History' series. After an informed and informative introduction, "Food In The United States 1890-1945" is very nicely organized into four major sections (Food Stuffs; Food Preparation; Eating habits; Concepts of Diet and Nutrition and Food Crises). With the addition of an extensive bibliography and a comprehensive index, and a work of exceptionally impressive scholarship, "Food In The United States 1890-1945" is enthusiastically recommended as a unique and seminal addition to academic and community library American History reference collections.
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Reporters Who Made History: Great American Journalists on the Issues and Crises of the Late 20th Century looks at a series of extraordinary chapters in the American story through the eyes of ten giants of journalism: Helen Thomas, Anthony Lewis, Morley Safer, Earl Caldwell, Ben Bradlee, Georgie Anne Geyer, Ellen Goodman, Juan Williams, David Broder, and Judy Woodruff.

Taking each of these journalists in turn, Hallock focuses on his or her work in the course of a single decade, drawing on the author's interviews with the journalist, archival research, memoirs, and critical studies. These exemplars of the best postwar American news reporting never took the easy path of simply restating policies and uncritically regurgitating press releases. Instead, their skeptical, independent, and searching methods of investigative and analytical journalism actually influenced the course of the very events they covered and significantly shaped our understanding of our national past.

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This debate-style reader is designed to introduce students to controversies in global issues through readings that reflect a variety of viewpoints. Each issue is framed with an issue summary, an issue introduction, and a postscript. The Taking Sides readers feature annotated listings of selected World Wide Web sites. Taking Sides is supported by our student website at www.dushkin.com/online/. ... Read more

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Arising out of the context of the re-configuration of Europe, new perspectives are applied by the authors of this volume to the process of nation-building in the United States. By focusing on a variety of public celebrations and festivities from the Revolution to the early twentieth century, the formative period of American national identity, the authors reveal the complex interrelationships between collective identities on the local, regional, and national level which, over time, shaped the peculiar character of American nationalism.This volume combines vivid descriptions of various public celebrations with a sophisticated methodological and theoretical approach. ... Read more

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The twentieth century witnessed the greatest changes in technology and science that humans have ever witnessed. These occurred rapidly and affected such a broad range of people. Scientists, inventors, and engineers built upon the great inventions of the 19th century to expand the reach of modern technology - for a citizen in 1900, communication, transportation, and agricultural was still primarily local activities; by 2000, an American citizen was part of an interconnected global community. These developments in science and technology were also important in the social and cultural changes of the period. The Great Depression, the World Wars and Cold War, the civil rights and women's rights movements - all were greatly impacted by the rapid scientific and technological advancements in the universities and industry.

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The focus of this book is the journey babies have made over the past century. The rise of the middle class in America dictated major changes in the ways babies were fed, cared for, and raised. Social programs focused on improving water and sanitation programs for all, which led directly to decreased infection among infants and improved morbidity and mortality rates. Other programs also focused attention on babies. Advances in medicine allowed infants to be immunized against once-deadly and disabling diseases and to survive congenital defects, premature birth, and infectious disease. Physicians helped infertile couples conceive and carry a baby to term. Prenatal care helped mothers give birth to a healthy baby. Early intervention services gave infants an advantage as they faced growing up in the modern era. Today, most American babies are better off than they were in 1901. Overall they are bigger, healthier, and much more likely to survive the first year. But challenges remain. By reviewing the events of the past century, Reedy hopes we can make even more of a difference in the lives of American babies in the century to come.

In 1900, most babies were born at home. Infant mortality was high and most families could expect to lose one or more of their babies within the first year of life. A family was expected to have babies, and they were certainly wanted in most situations, however, they did not generally receive the attention they do today. In the early years of the 21st century, the birth of a baby is a time of joy for most parents and extended families. Birth occurs most often in a hospital delivery room with the father and sometimes other family members present. While the infant mortality rate in the United States still lags behind many other developed countries, it has significantly improved over the past century, and infant death is not a family expectation.

The main focus of this book is the journey babies have made over the past century. The rise of the middle class in America dictated major changes in the ways babies were fed, cared for, and raised. No longer a financial necessity as in an agrarian society, babies became a symbol of middle class prosperity and parents basked in the reflected glow. Social programs, authorized and regulated by federal and state government, became a reality. Progressive Era reformers focused on improving water and sanitation programs for all, which led directly to decreased infection among infants and improved the dismal morbidity and mortality rates prevalent among all social classes. Other programs, such as the Shepard-Towner Act, the Social Security Act, and Lyndon Johnson's Great Society initiatives also focused attention on babies. Advances in medicine allowed infants to be immunized against once-deadly and disabling diseases and to survive congenital defects, premature birth, and infectious disease. Physicians discovered the means to help infertile couples conceive and carry a baby to term. Prenatal care helped mothers prepare for the birth of a healthy baby. Early intervention services by educators, social workers, and others gave infants an advantage as they faced growing up in the modern era.

At the beginning of the 21st century, most American babies are better off than they were in 1901. Overall they are bigger, healthier, and much more likely to survive the first year. But challenges remain. By reviewing the events of the past century, Reedy hopes we can make even more of a difference in the lives of American babies in the century to come.

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Despite an anti-religious reputation and the anti-religious worldview of many members, the American Socialist movement held a primarily religious and moral attraction for a small but highly articulate group of American Christians of diverse religious tradition. This study explores the dramatic and at times dangerous lives of individuals who found in the vibrant, growing socialist movement before World War I the grounds for hope that the biblical ideals of human worth and economic justice would at last be fulfilled. Its subjects are male and female, black and white, native- and foreign-born, clergy and lay people, and products of Christian traditions ranging from African-American Baptist to Episcopalian. Readers will find, not Milquetoasts standing hesitantly on the sidelines, but Christians with an unequivocal commitment to the complete socialist program who made major contributions to socialist work, as authors, political candidates, and party leaders. ... Read more

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This volume, examining land warfare, is part of a three-volume narrative reference charting military action throughout the 20th-century. It places military events on record and in context to provide the reader with a picture which supplies the information in a common style. ... Read more

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Beginning with revolutionary changes effected in tiny frontier schools in the late 19th century, and going up to early 21st century comprehensive high schools, this volume presents a choronological account of specific reform efforts in the US - exposing the successes and roots of many failures. ... Read more

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Reconsidering Reform
In this varied collection of historical essays, Herbert M Kliebard sets out to chart the course of educational reform and to account for the "pendulum swings" (back and forth reforms that reinforce the status quo) frequently observed by historians and critics alike. Kliebard approaches his investigation from two perspectives: one an outspoken criticism of education reforms, the other a less partisan approach that attempts to understand why some reforms take root while many others do not. The author also determines to avoid speaking of "progressive education," a blanket term that obscures the important differences between diverse approaches to educational change. Rather, he writes about particular instances of reform, the reasons behind them, and the results that followed.

Kliebard focuses many of his chapters on specific instances of reform, citing the people, places, and socio-historical context unique to each situation. The cases Kliebard presents are arranged chronologically, beginning in the post-Civil War era and continuing to the present. Despite his attention to detail, Kliebard never loses sight of the larger historical picture. He skillfully manages to connect individual cases to overarching socio-historical movements, and he remains mindful of the ideological underpinnings that link one reform to the next. The historical picture that emerges is one of a nation simultaneously enchanted by and dissatisfied with schooling.

Reading Kliebard's book as a student of education history, I found the subject matter and presentation engaging, especially in light of current trends and pendulums that continue to swing. In his own words, Kliebard's mission is to uncover "insights into the popular conception that educational reform is a rather futile undertaking" (130), and he delivers on this promise. Chapter 6, titled "Fads, Fashions, and Rituals: The Instability of Curriculum Change," made the greatest connection for me; in it, Kliebard offered four possible reasons for the failure of reforms to take root, and I was struck by the logic and applicability of his assessments. I only wish I had thought of them myself!

Throughout the book, Kliebard continually reminds readers of the contextual nature of educational practice, and his astute observations prove that reforms must address both theoretical and practical issues if they are to make a significant impact on schooling. For readers struggling to make positive and lasting change in this era of high-stakes testing and short-lived reform, Kliebard's study is both timely and instructive. ... Read more

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In this long-awaited successor to his landmark work A History of American Law, Lawrence M. Friedman offers a monumental history of American law in the twentieth century.The first general history of its kind, American Law in the Twentieth Century describes the explosion of law over the past century into almost every aspect of American life. Since 1900 the center of legal gravity in the United States has shifted from the state to the federal government, with the creation of agencies and programs ranging from Social Security to the Securities Exchange Commission to the Food and Drug Administration. Major demographic changes have spurred legal developments in such areas as family law and immigration law. Dramatic advances in technology have placed new demands on the legal system in fields ranging from automobile regulation to intellectual property.Throughout the book, Friedman focuses on the social context of American law. He explores the extent to which transformations in the legal order have resulted from the social upheavals of the twentieth century-including two world wars, the Great Depression, the civil rights movement, and the sexual revolution. Friedman also discusses the international context of American law: what has the American legal system drawn from other countries? And in an age of global dominance, what impact has the American legal system had abroad?Written by one of our most eminent legal historians, this engrossing book chronicles a century of revolutionary change within a legal system that has come to affect us all. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Critical reading for law students, pre-law students and young lawyers.
For the average reader with an interest in American history and institutions, this is a fine book - not necessarily riveting, but a unique and commendable overview of American law in the 20th century.Young lawyers, law students and pre-law students probably have much more to gain from the book than other readers.As a lawyer of 20 years, I still enjoy reading anything that enhances my understanding of and appreciation for the role of law and lawyers in society.Students and younger lawyers will also find practical and interesting information about law school, court systems, judicial clerkships, law firms, bar associations, and legal careers within its 600 pages.

The book covers lots of legal ground and Professor Friedman's writing is active and engaging, in contrast to the grandiloquent style often preferred by historians.That said, the book fell short of a "masterpiece" for me.I found his earlier work, A History of American Law, covering per-colonial times through the 19th century, to be more inspired and colorful.My guess is that Professor Friedman finds the earlier development of American law and the characters that led that development more interesting.As a general assessment, developments in the law in the 19th century do seem more exciting and exotic - judges on horseback, land grants, iron horses bringing waves of commerce and lawyers across the frontier, and very lax standards for lawyers.By the 20th century, things started becoming a bit more routine - statutes, regulations and regulatory bodies multiplied exponentially to address taxes, health and social welfare, securities markets, agriculture, transportation and every other conceivable area of life and commerce.

And though the editorial and research challenges posed by such a huge work must have been overwhelming, while reading, I sometimes wondered what must ended up on the editing room floor to accommodate this or that deep dive into some pocket of legal trivia - like the unenlightening section on automobile law.As sometimes happens, the editor's pen (or scissors) seemed to lose its vitality in the final chapters.

Overall though, it's a good book for anyone with an interest in history and a must-read for those with legal career ambitions.

Sloppy work for a historian
The author claims to be a historian, and from everything I've heard, his work on pre-20th century American law is quite good.Unfortunately, he must not be as conversant with the 20th century as he'd like to think, because there were entire movements that were completely left out of the book.For example, the dramatic impact of the women's movement on things like the Civil Rights movement was completely ignored.

In addition, he vaccilates too often on the validity of certain types of evidence.For example, when public opinion is in favor of his viewpoint, then that viewpoint has been rightly elevated to the "Pantheon" of legal thought.When public opinion is opposed to him, then the U.S. public is nothing more than a mass of ignorant fools.

Furthermore, he makes certain claims in the book which are the type that could be empirically tested.What's more, they are the type of claim that almost assuredly have been tested at some point, yet there is no support given for those claims.

Overall, a very sloppy piece of work.

A fantastic overview of modern American law
I read Friedman's book a few years ago, when as a foreigner I knew nothing about American law but became interested in the subject due to the political importance of US Supreme Court decisions. The decision to buy this particular book was rather random, but I couldn't have made a better choice.

In this book, Lawrence Friedman gives a thorough, balanced and above all engaged overview of the development of modern American law. The book is divided in chapters organized by law subject, not by historical period, which allows you to read up on the development of any field of American law you are interested in. But at the same time the reader is never left confused about the historical 'big picture', as Friedman chooses the order of narration very carefully and ensures the reader is with him all the way.

What makes the book better than just a good overview is the way Friedman manages to put the 'human element' into his narration without it becoming sentimental, dramatic or overly political. The impact of laws and decisions on the lives of various minorities or even just the average American gets ample attention, and one feels that Friedman is one of those rare legal scholars who manage to maintain a sincere and non-cynical interest in the effects of the law on common people. But by avoiding a preachy or bitter tone this engagement manages to hold the attention of the reader at a much higher level than the angry commentary of law histories on the left (Zinn) and right (Bork).

In short, anyone with even a passing interest in American law should definitely buy this book. Especially recommended for non-American audiences.

Excellent follow up to his "classic" history
Mr. Friedman has written the excellent follow up to his "classic" history of American law.I'd recommend the first book, if it's still in print, and if not check the used book sites.

A must for anyone with any interest in American law.
Due to a somewhat nasty review by an Amazon customer - probably some obscure and jealous colleague of Lawrence Friedman's, angry at the writer's success - I hesitated to purchase the book. I have a PhD. in law and a Master's degree from Georgetown law but I still learned a lot and I enjoyed every chapter, paragraph and line. Friedman's erudition and mastery of the subject is obvious. He writes clearly, eloquently and is never boring. His tongue in cheek systematic use of the feminine is pleasantly ironic. He keeps referring to a hypothetic lawyer as "she" instead of the politically correct and tedious "he or she".
From the point of view of a civil law lawyer (or indeed anyone wanting to learn more about the American legal system) this book is compulsory reading. Friedman's assumption that laws are shaped by society and its changes may be discussed and some of his views one may or may not agree with. But that is irrelevant, because here are 607 seven pages of superb quality and interest. ... ... Read more

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From 1920 to the mid-1990s, American transportation in the form of railroads, trucks, and airlines was simply a creature of politics and public policy. In brief, the markets for rail, truck, and airlines were not natural entities, but had been created through hard-fought political contests, full-time lobbying, and unceasing litigation. Between 1940 and the late 1970s, moreover, leaders of rail, truck, and airline firms lobbied and litigated to protect the workings of this regulatory regime.

In the mid-1950s, President Eisenhower asked Congress to award railroad executives authority to modify prices and service. Eisenhower was concerned about a railroad industry in decline. During the 1960s, President Johnson sought broad deregulation of rail, truck, and airline firms. Johnson wanted another device to "fine tune" the economy. In the 1970s, Presidents Nixon, Ford, and Carter sought to deregulate transportation with a view toward reversing "stagflation." Between 1978 and 1980, Congress and President Carter approved deregulation of airlines, trucking, and railroads. Carter aide Mary Schuman played a crucial role in bringing about airline deregulation. For all the market talk that surrounded transportation politics before and after 1980, however, officials of the American state had been and remained the principal agents creating those markets. ... Read more

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No Surrender! No Retreat! examines the careers of fifteen pioneer performers and their triumphs over herculean obstacles. It is a look back over the 20th century and documents personal histories of staggering achievement in spite of institutional racism, gender oppression, and classism. Twenty-four years in the making, No Surrender! No Retreat! is an indispensable work on African Americans in the performing arts, examining well-known performers, such as James Earl Jones, Morgan Freeman, and Pearl Bailey. Rare archival material and a number of personal interviews enrich this tome. Glenda E. Gill's work is a moving and sometimes tragic account of the lives and careers of some of America's most outstanding African American pioneers in theater. ... Read more

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This volume discusses the relationships between the philosophy of Mysticism, which traces its lineage back into prehistory, with that of the world of more traditional philosophy and literature. The author argues for the centrality of mysticism's role in the philosophical and artistic development of western culture. The connections between these worlds are underscored as the author examines the works of Heraclitus, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Iris Murdoch, Yeats, AE (George Russell), T.S. Eliot, Joyce, Woolf, Auden, Huxley, Lessing, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Tony Kushner, among others. ... Read more

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America 100 years ago was a radically different nation than it is today - there were no airplanes, the moon was beyond reach, women could not vote, and African-Americans were not yet truly free. A century later, accomplishments in these areas and dozens of others have changed the face of America, thanks to the tremendous contributions of some special people.Imagine encompasses all the new frontiers that Americans have embarked upon these past 100 years and celebrates the leaders, thinkers, revolutionaries, artists, and scientists who led the way. Each spread features a striking image of one of these heroes and an excerpt from a speech, song, or published work. ... Read more

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A five star guide to American Architecture
When I originally reviewed this book, Amazon had not yetcreated its star-ranking system, so somehow it received, after thefact, a single lonely star.It is in fact a 5 star book. The new bookby Sydney LeBlanc, The Architecture Traveler, promises to be even better and is eagerly awaited by this reader. ... Read more