Promised Land: Thirteen Books That Changed America

Americans need periodic reminding that they are, to a great extent, people of the book--or, rather, books. In PROMISED LAND, Jay Parini repossesses that vibrant, intellectual heritage by examining the life and times of thirteen books that changed America. Each of the books has been a watershed, gathering intellectual currents already in motion and marking a turn in American life and thought.Their influence remains pervasive, however hidden, and in his essays Jay Parini demonstrates how these books entered American life and altered how we think and act in the world. The thirteen books that changed America: Of Plymouth Plantation - The Federalist Papers - The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin - The Journals of Lewis and Clark - Walden - Uncle Tom's Cabin - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - The Souls of Black Folk - The Promised Land - How to Win Friends and Influence People - Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care - The Feminine Mystique - On the Road