Good reading ... If you're on the left. I was hoping for something as unbiased and fact based like "Poverty, by America". The author strays frequently from this conflating politics with his position. Two examples: 1. The Covid vaccine was delivered in record time under Trump's administration. I'm not a fan of the man, but that was quite an accomplishment. It's totally ignored and instead Biden is given credit. 2. People not supporting DEI and the accompanying reasoning is described as people being predjudiced based on race. He doesn't say this explicitly, but that was the argument at the time and he describes anyone who didn't support it as racist.Net net ... Take your bias out of it and talk only to the facts. It will be a lot more persuasive to people who may be on the other side of the aisle.

Outstanding book that everyone should read. Great follow upto American Nations book. Highly recommend!

One of those books that profoundly influenced the way I put it all together. I put it up there with "Guns, Germs and Steel" in importance.

This is one of those books that is shifting how I see the United States. Instead of viewing the country as a simple red vs. blue divide, Woodard maps out deeply rooted regional cultures—shaped by early settlers, geography, and values—that still influence politics, identity, and worldview today.What makes this especially compelling is how recognizable it feels; I'm noticing these patterns more everywhere I look, from current events to everyday conversations.This book is not just a history lesson—it’s a framework for understanding why we often feel like we’re living in entirely different versions of the same country, and why bridging those divides can feel so complex.My thanks to NetGalley for the review copy of this book.

Outstanding, Clear, who we are and how we got here!!