The American Identity

Does America have a national character? Taught by Professor Patrick N. Allitt of Emory University, The American Identity--one of the newest entries in The Teaching Company's excellent "Great Courses" lecture series'--argues persuasively that while the United States may well be the proverbial multicultural melting pot, Americans share certain common ideals and traits (although these are not always evident or universally upheld): among them, a commitment to equality and education, a belief in progress and economic growth, and a refusal to embrace fatalism. Allitt advances this thesis by examining the lives of various historical figures, each of whom lean more or less toward one or the other of what the professor sees as the two defining ideologies competing within the American psyche: "practicality" and "idealism." Bookended by opening and closing programs, the 48-lecture series looks at 46 men and women altogether, including Cotton Mather, Ben Franklin, Abigail Adams, Frederick Douglass, Brigham Young, Louisa May Alcott, Samuel Gompers, Emma Goldman, Henry Ford, Helen Keller, Shirley Temple, Betty Friedan, and Jesse Jackson. Although not one of the more dynamic lecturers, British native Allitt brings a thought-provoking perspective to the subject, while revisiting the lives of famous and not-so-famous Americans (most people wouldn't recognize the name of William Mulholland, for instance, although John Huston's character in Chinatown was loosely based on him). Packaged with a four-part course book containing the full transcript, overview, outline, glossary, suggested bibliography, and more, this is sure to be a welcome addition for high school and academic libraries (to supplement their own regular or distance ed courses, or for students wishing to explore topics not offered by their local institution), as well as a solid choice for public libraries serving adult learners. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (R. Pitman)