American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson is a historical book by Joseph Ellis, published in 1996. The book examines the personality traits of president Thomas Jefferson, who accomplished more in his first term in office than almost any other president. Ellis examines Jefferson's inconsistencies in opinion and how he presented himself differently towards different people. He also remarks on Jefferson's shyness from the public and his preference for writing over public speaking.
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.
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.
American Psycho is the story of Patrick Bateman, a young investment banker who works on Wall Street in the 1980s. The narrative follows Bateman as he lives an empty, yuppie lifestyle by day and goes on sadistic murder sprees by night, gradually descending into an unstable world where the lines between reality and fantasy are blurred. This controversial novel is a critique of capitalism, the shallowness of materialism, and the numbness created by the 1980s consumer culture.