How can international students learn more about American History?

Question:  I  have had a couple of students say they would like to know more about American History and Culture. I looked a LIGHT AND THE GLORY.  While it is a wonderful book it is too narrowly focused for this application.  I am thinking of a smaller book.  There are many books that talk about American History, but I don’t know of any that talk about American culture … unless they are lengthy tomes which tend to overwhelm or put you to sleep!  Any suggestions?

Answers:

This is written for ISM.  Exploring America's Cultural Values and Holidays

Bill Perry's book, "A Look Inside America", exploring America's cultural values and holidays, is the best and shortest book (96 pages) I know on America culture.

Bill Perry http://www.multilanguage.com/feature.htm

I’m sure you already know about Bill Perry’s A Look Inside America that looks some at American cultural values but mostly at the history and traditions of our holidays.  Also another interesting resource is Why Are Americans Like That? by Stan Nussbaum.  You can order that on www.enculturation.org  - I notice that they (“Enculturation Books”) are in Colorado Springs!  Maybe we already have a connection to them?

 Another book that addresses several items regarding American culture (though not so much American history) is American Ways: A Guide for Foreigners in the United States by Gary Althen (intercultural press, inc./Yarmouth, Maine).