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krichardson's review against another edition
3.0
A good look into the history of different groups that make up America, if a little short at times. The beginning could have been better, as it centered around white men (Shakespeare, Jefferson, Jackson) as opposed to the groups that the chapters were about. This gets generally better in later chapters, except for the Shakespeare references which were continuous and (in my opinion) pointless.
mersell's review against another edition
5.0
This book should be required reading for all Americans.
washed_guapi_lee's review against another edition
5.0
I prefer it over a People's History...
The book that made me realize what country I actually live in
The book that made me realize what country I actually live in
lace_m_3's review
5.0
Starting in America's earliest days and ending in modern times, Takaki weaves the story of multiculturalism in our country from the eyes of minority people groups. This book is chalk full of facts, personal accounts and heroism. I found myself continuously awed and horrified that we so quickly have forgotten this dark side to our story. In order to move forward in a time of rising racial tension we have to be able to take an honest look back and to learn from our grievous mistakes. This book sets up a solid defense of the reality of white privilege and its devastating effects while also remaining hopeful that we can move forward in peace.
nolasavesthebros's review against another edition
5.0
This book is so insightful. Lots of Americans have, perhaps, a vague idea of our history, but Takaki tells it in such a way that the reader can more accurately understand that history from a variety of perspectives. Takaki is a gifted storyteller, and I am thankful for having read this book.
alyxisreading's review against another edition
3.75
The book was very interesting and covered a large aspect of historical narratives, but the numerous topics Takaki covers consequently causes parts of the novel to feel more statistical. I enjoyed the novel, but I wish the author went into more in-depth conversations about immigration and anti-racist sentiments.
daumari's review
4.0
This is the revised addition, with extra chapters added in 2008 to more fully reflect the history of various groups in America including Afghan immigrants and the post-9/11 world. A solid introduction to American history and the parallels between various groups as they immigrated, were forcibly brought here, or were invaded. I'm a bit loathe to say this is the "hidden" part of American history, but if you think back to your schooling, how much space is given to immigration, and how often is it a paragraph about Ellis Island?
The most striking aspect to me was how much of American's immigration waves are due to labor, in a very cyclical way: "oh hey, we need cheap labor so let's import as many of these folks as we can; oh no there's too many of them we don't want to be taken over so let's ban them/send them home; oh wait we need cheap labor where's another place we can exploit", rinse and repeat. I'm a fourth generation Chinese American so it's a familiar story to me (familial, even), and I am quick to remind my social feeds of how the Chinese Exclusion Act set the blueprint for restrictive immigration police in the United States. The frustrating aspect to my more organized-labor minded friends is how often solidarity would've bonded the working class immigrants together, if not for the easy division tactic of xenophobia.
Strongly recommend this to supplement or educate yourself about the history of this country, and certainly for the reading lists y'all made in 2020 that you're definitely going to get around to reading in 2021, right?
The most striking aspect to me was how much of American's immigration waves are due to labor, in a very cyclical way: "oh hey, we need cheap labor so let's import as many of these folks as we can; oh no there's too many of them we don't want to be taken over so let's ban them/send them home; oh wait we need cheap labor where's another place we can exploit", rinse and repeat. I'm a fourth generation Chinese American so it's a familiar story to me (familial, even), and I am quick to remind my social feeds of how the Chinese Exclusion Act set the blueprint for restrictive immigration police in the United States. The frustrating aspect to my more organized-labor minded friends is how often solidarity would've bonded the working class immigrants together, if not for the easy division tactic of xenophobia.
Strongly recommend this to supplement or educate yourself about the history of this country, and certainly for the reading lists y'all made in 2020 that you're definitely going to get around to reading in 2021, right?
foraging_pages's review against another edition
I find it difficult to rate required reading novels as I have to consume the material and analyze it so quickly (so most of the time I just don’t). Takaki definitely writes as a scholar and not an author, but he brought to light so much history that is overlooked or ignored in history courses. This was a great choice to kick off my Multicultural Literature course!