The Intellectual Devotional: American History: Revive Your Mind, Complete Your Education, and Converse Confidently about Our Nation's Past

Instead, let's this be our little secret: I didn't use The Intellectual Devotional in the way it was intended. (That is, reading one entry each day for a year.)

Forget that! There was no way that I was going to wait 24 hours between its excellent and varied entries.

Regarding the few less-than-favorable reader reviews this book has garnered, some do criticize the smallish fonts the authors employ... to these readers, I say muscle up and break out the bi-focals. Each page in this book is devoted to one particular aspect of US history, and on the occasions when I clucked my tongue because some choice tidbit had been left out of a notable American's biography, I'd look the page over again and realize that a profound amount of pithy and important information HAD been included... in short, the Devotional had done as good a job as could be done.

Speaking of pithy, I am now anything but. Buy two copies of this book; one for you, and one for me. (I gave my copy away. Wasn't that a nice gesture?)

Great book for American History buffs. Wait till you read this book. I thought I was pretty sharp until I read this book. Quick little information on 1 page only. Great for High school students taking Am History.

These books (two of them) covers every subject you always wanted to know more about. Great for Doctor's office or red lights. The material is short and full of knowledge.

I great present.

Phyllis Pentecost

Devote five minutes a day to this book, and in one year you'll be able to dazzle - or annoy - your friends with your newfound knowledge about America's past. The Intellectual Devotional: American History is sliced 365 ways and delivered to you in fun-size chunks, one page at a time. It covers seven categories, one for each day of the week.

On each page is a one paragraph summary followed by several paragraphs of detail, followed by two or three footnote-looking trivia nuggets. This reader's digest of U.S. history keeps it brief and interesting.

On Mondays, we learn about Politics and Leadership, from Washington delivering the shortest inaugural address on record to John F. Kennedy winning the Pulitzer Prize.

Tuesdays bring the subject of War and Peace, where we learn tidbits like John Adams, America's second president, serving as the defense attorney to the commander of the British troops following the Boston Massacre. And that two percent of the U.S. population died during the Civil War. Two percent! That's like nine million people at today's prices.

The topic for Wednesdays is Rights and Reform. We follow America's journey living up to its philosophical promise, briefly exploring subjects such as the Great Awakenings and multiple civil rights movements.

On Thursdays, we get down to Business, or the history of it and its impact on the American economy through discoveries of natural resources and advances in technology from the Cotton Gin to the Gold Rush to the Internet.

Friday's theme is Building America, where we learn about the history of building, as well as destroying, America's infrastructure. How did barbed wire get started? Whose idea was that? When did Yankee stadium open, and when do they plan to tear it down? Did Mrs. O'Leary's cow kick over that kerosene lamp? Who knew infrastructure could be so fascinating?

Which brings us to Saturdays and Literature. Edgar Allan Poe. Hemingway. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Uncle Tom's Cabin. Did you know that Harriet Beecher-Stowe and Mark Twain were next-door neighbors?

On Sundays, you can enjoy educational entries on the Arts. Do you know from which novel's character Starbuck's gets its name? Which 1990 movie is a remake of Casablanca? How many times has Lisa Marie Presley been married?

The Intellectual Devotional: American History is presented in a way that's entertaining, accessible and easily digestible. You can pick it up and put it down for as little or as long as you like. You can jump to the end and read it backwards, or open it up to a random page and start reading. It's like 365 little Ken Burns documentaries crammed into the convenience of a portable reader.

And why aren't more books adorned with a handy built-in red ribbon bookmark?


Reviewed by Margaret Andrews for Curled Up With A Good Book

After reading this book, I truly have a better understanding of America and what it is to be an American. One thing about this book is that it tells you about the great people who made this country what it is today. It has given me more respect at how hard some of America's greatest people worked at creating this country, devoting their lives to create lasting institutions and structures.

While America is a diverse melting pot of cultures now, one thing that brings us together is our desire to become great citizens and make lasting contributions to this wonderful country. This book gives us 365 examples of how it has been done. Anyone who aspires to some day becoming a great American should take a look at this book.