Promised Land: Thirteen Books That Changed America

“These thirteen books must be seen as representative, not definitive, works. They are nodal points, places where vast areas of thought and feeling gathered and dispersed, creating a nation as various and vibrant as the United States, which must be considered one of the most successful nation-states in modern history, and a republic built firmly on ideas, which are contained in its major texts. Where we have been must, of course, determine where we are going. My hope is that this book helps to show us where we have been and engenders a lively conversation about our destination, which seems perpetually in dispute.”
—from Promised Land

Americans need periodic reminding that they are, to a great extent, people of the book—or, rather, books. In Promised Land, Jay Parini repossesses that vibrant, intellectual heritage by examining the life and times of thirteen "books that changed America." Each of the books has been a watershed, gathering intellectual currents already in motion and marking a turn in American life and thought. Their influence remains pervasive, however hidden, and in his essays Jay Parini demonstrates how these books entered American life and altered how we think and act in the world.

The thirteen "books that changed America":
Of Plymouth Plantation ‧ The Federalist Papers ‧ The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin ‧ The Journals of Lewis and Clark ‧ Walden ‧ Uncle Tom's Cabin ‧ Adventures of Huckleberry Finn ‧ The Souls of Black Folk ‧ The Promised Land ‧ How to Win Friends and Influence People ‧ The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care ‧ On the Road ‧ The Feminine Mystique

Promised Land offers a reading of the American psyche, allowing us to reflect on what our past means for who we are now. It is a rich and immensely readable work of cultural history that will appeal to all book lovers and students of the American character alike.

JAY PARINI is a poet, a novelist, a biographer, and a professor at Middlebury College. Among his seven novels are The Last Station (the movie version of which will feature Helen Mirren, Christopher Plummer, and James McAvoy), Benjamin's Crossing, and The Apprentice Lover. Parini also wrote The Art of Teaching (2005), based on his columns in The Chronicle of Higher Education, to which he still frequently contributes. He has appeared on various programs for National Public Radio, C-SPAN, and PBS.