Posted by Racer on July 24, 2004, at 9:30:23
In reply to Re: D. Boorstin (Nikki can't play this time...) » Racer, posted by NikkiT2 on July 24, 2004, at 6:23:40
At least from what I've read so far, I'm loving it because he is discussing such things as why some material survives and other doesn't -- you know, the books used everyday in the classrooms fall apart, so we can't look at them, but the books no one read are in fine shape.
As for the geographic isolation from Europe, that's related to the period of our founding, *not* the current time. The first chapter is all about how the early period of American life involved what he calls "fertile verges" -- the verge between the wilderness and the city; the verge between the land and the sea; the verge between the German and the English settlers; etc. That not having the city already established, not having the generations of traditions, not having a roadmap to life in America created a tradition of frontierism that was different from the traditions of the Old World.
This book came out in 1987, so it may be hard to find because it's too old. Too bad, what I've read about him makes me want his contribution to survive. He died a few months ago, and I know my mother had a few moments of sadness about that.
Honestly, Nikki, I hope you try to find a copy, because I'd love to hear what you have to say about it. I can read it as a critical history reader, but only as an American who is critical of most history she's read. I'd love to get a different perspective from a reader with a different background. (Maybe we can start our own book club? LoL! But only if I can get to where I can read consistently again. I'm already back to 'mostly unable to read' after getting through only two books normally... {{sigh}})
poster:Racer
thread:369374
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/books/20040616/msgs/369900.html