A Hope in the Unseen is a biographical account of Cedric Jennings' journey from a childhood as the driven and achievement-oriented son of a drug dealer to an alienated college student at Brown University. Cedric, a young black man, faces repeated challenges to his identity as an intellectual both from his fellow black students and from white academics. He goes through life struggling to believe in the viability of his academic future.
A Walk Across America is a 1979 book by Peter Jenkins about his walk from New York to Louisiana. Disillusioned with America after the Vietnam War, Jenkins set out across the country, working in the towns he stayed in and living by the hospitality of locals. The book chronicles his travels and the people, both generous and suspicious, whom he meets along the way. Throughout the book, Jenkins meets people who believe in the American dream and, after meeting a bitter homeless man, he realizes that he too must believe.
Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America is a 1989 book by David Hackett Fischer about four groups of people that emigrated from England to the United states and how, he believes, these groups remain relevant socially, culturally and politically in the contemporary United States. The book examines the Pilgrims from East Anglia to Massachusetts, the indentured servants from Southern England to Virginia, the farmers from North Britain to the South, and the Quakers from the North Midlands to the Mid-Atlantic region.
America: A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction is a book by Jon Stewart published in 2004. The book is written as a mock-textbook for high school history and civics classes and includes articles by many of the writers for the satirical Daily Show. The book satirizes American politics and history, poking fun at politicians, bureaucracy and historical events. The book also contains humorous activities and picturees, such as (fake) nude photos of Supreme Court justices.
American Gods tells the story of Shadow, an ex-convict who is hired by the mysterious Mr. Wednesday after he gets out of prison. As they crisscross the country, seeking out strange people for some unknown purpose, Shadow is thrust into other realities, is threatened by ancient gods, and realizes that he has been manipulated in more ways than one. The novel incorporates mythological traditions from many different cultures and explores the themes of loyalty, trickery, tradition, and sacrifice.
American Indian Mythology is a compilation of myth, legend, and oral tradition compiled by linguists, anthropologists, tribal elders, and historians. The stories chronicle animal parables as well as tribal origin stories, creation myths, and heroic narratives encapsulating the many distinct cultures of Native American society. The compilation presents a broad array of tribal tradition in a respectful and fascinating context that focuses on the uniqueness of the various tribes that once ruled what is now America.