U.S. History

by OpenStax College, John M. Lund (Senior Contributor), Todd Pfannestiel (Senior Contributor)

This book is available for free at http://openstaxcollege.org/textbooks/...

U.S. History covers the breadth of the chronological history of the United States and also provides the necessary depth to ensure the course is manageable for instructors and students alike. U.S. History is designed to meet the scope and sequence requirements of most courses. The authors introduce key forces and major developments that together form the American experience, with particular attention paid to considering issues of race, class, and gender. The text provides a balanced approach to U.S. history, considering the people, events, and ideas that have shaped the United States from both the top down (politics, economics, diplomacy) and bottom up (eyewitness accounts, lived experience).

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Textbooks

1045 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2014

About the author

OpenStax College is a nonprofit organization committed to improving student access to quality learning materials. Their free textbooks are developed and peer-reviewed by educators to ensure they are readable, accurate, and meet the scope and sequence requirements of your course. Through their partnerships with companies and foundations committed to reducing costs for students, OpenStax College is working to improve access to higher education for all. OpenStax College is an initiative of Rice University and is made possible through the generous support of several philanthropic foundations.

Reviews

[Tiff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for school but since it controlled my life for two months and prevented me from reading, it might as well count for my reading challenge.
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I’m not gonna lie, it was pretty good. Although it is a textbook, as someone who enjoys history, I really liked it. It was informative, easy to read, and filled with interesting facts. After reading it and completing the class, I’m now able to compare the political styles of American presidents since the 1800s. How freaking cool is that?

Could get a revision regarding the grammar and word choice. But, other than that, it was pretty good.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm an AP US history teacher and I endorse this book, both because of its cost (free) and its content (comprehensive). Also, for those who are unaware, it is available as a free Kindle ebook.

[Rob Duford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Purchased this book as a refresher more than anything. I really enjoyed the first 28 chapters, but as we progressed into the end of the 20th Century the authors' politically viewpoints began emerging. The book quickly slanted from historical facts to historical opinions.

[Charlette · Rating 3 out of 5]

We had to use this for my U.S. History class. I wouldn't normally add this to my goodreads, but considering the reason I didn't read as many books this year is because I had to read textbooks, I'm going to county it towards my goodreads goal lol.

The best part about this book is that it was F R E E! Open source textbooks are the future! But other than that, it was very informative and wasn't written in a style that bogs down all of the information like history books are apt to do. It also doesn't paint white people as saviors or on moral high ground, which is important because that's what actually happened.

I was also able to get through the chapters relatively quickly, which is such a boon. Probably the best history textbook I've had to read!

[Matt Paden · Rating 1 out of 5]

The worst textbook I've ever read. Too much jumping around. It would be better, in my opinion, if it would just explain things chronologically. The writing is extremely longwinded for no apparent reason, as well as just plain boring. I love history and especially reading about it, so for a mandatory history book that I need information from to pass a class to be this unbearable... It's just a huge letdown.

[Acenith Claassen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprehensive and somewhat informative. The only thing I would caution is that it has a more than mild liberal slant. Many things are not quite accurate, and it leans toward the anti-American POV

[Isabelle♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

THE TEXTBOOK READING IS OVAAAAA!!! FINALLY GOODBYE!

[☆shriya☆]

I have nightmares about this textbook!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

[Robin Hatcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars - I learned a lot from this college textbook. It wasn't completely unbiased, but in general I believe it laid out clear information without trying to prove political points.