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Bob Scott Placier's avatar

I have recently acquired Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America. This was after reading a rapturous reference to the work in Dennis Covington's Salvation on Sand Mountain. Covington's book, about snake handlers in southern Appalachia, clearly doesn't fit in the list of works discussed in your post. But that two such different people whose offerings I admire could both recommend it makes me look forward to opening its pages.

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David Wyman's avatar

Fischer forever changed my understanding of colonial history in the 80s. A remarkable book that has quite the cult following at this point. He has a new book of similar structure about African-American influence on the various regions of America.

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Dierk Groeneman's avatar

East of Eden got on my radar recently. Thanks for the appreciation of all things American!

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Alien On Earth's avatar

If the average upper class American by Birth knew more average working and middle class Americans by Choice the tone of Elite Discourse would be fundamentally different.

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David Wyman's avatar

My Aunt Jennie Lindquist was one of the first children's librarians in the country and was at Albany Public Library for many years. You are probably not old enough to have overlapped with her, but it would be close. She retired to NH in the mid-70s and died soon after. She was also editor of the Horn Book, on the Newbery committee, and was the author of a Newberry finalist children's book, The Golden Name Day, about Swedish-American children. I always think of her when your child mentions the APL sponsorship on your podcast.

It all continues for us. I married a children's librarian, as did my second son.

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Bill in Glendale's avatar

I remember the slightly guilty feeling the first time I adventured from the children's section into the high school section to find more advanced reading.

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Razib Khan's avatar

me too! :)

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David Wyman's avatar

My guilty feeling was because I first went over for the sex education books.

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Top Guy's avatar

Wallace Stegner is top

tier.

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