Joseph F. Kett Bücher

Defines the people, places, sayings, and ideas representing what the authors consider essential information for literate americans

Like its corresponding full-size version, The Enduring Vision, Concise, features an engaging, elegantly written narrative that emphasizes political, social, and cultural history within a chronological framework. The Enduring Vision was the first U.S. history survey text to incorporate sustained attention to cultural history, and is also known for its innovative coverage of the West and the environment. The full-color design offers the illustrative maps and captivating art work of any full-length survey text at a fraction of the cost. Restructured chapter-opening vignettes and conclusions now include three to five focus questions to help guide students' reading. Chronology boxes reinforce the sequence of the chapter's main events.

"In this fast-paced information age, how can Americans know what's really important and what's just a passing fashion? Now more than ever, we need a source that concisely sums up the knowledge that matters to Americans - the people, places, ideas, and events that shape our cultural conversation. With more than six thousand entries, The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy is that invaluable source. Wireless technology. Gene therapy, NAFTA. In addition to the thousands of terms described in the original Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, here are more than five hundred new entries to bring Americans' essential knowledge bank up to date. Are you familiar with the digital divide, European Union, Kwanzaa, pheromones, Type A and Type B personalities, spam? Or, test your knowledge on cultural icons that have stood the test of time: Odysseus, Leaves of Grass, Cleopatra, Winston Churchill, the Taj Mahal, and many, many more. Numerous original entries have been revised to reflect the many recent changes in world history and politics, American literature, and, especially, science and technology."--Jacket