Nine down, forty-three to go.

Nine down, forty-three to go.

Don't Know Much About History:
Everything You Need to Know About American History but Never Learned
by Kenneth C. Davis

I'll admit, I'd hoped to at least hit the half-way mark of my original goal before the end of the year, but that's looking doubtful unless I really start pouring on the steam and/or start choosing shorter books! I actually started Don't Know Much About History: Everything You Need to Know About American History but Never Learned a while ago, but put it down a few pages into the book. It's been more than a few years since I took any sort of history, and considering my age I'm also cognizant that my initial education probably had a few gaping holes due to the bias of the times and the general trend for some of the more alarming events in the United States' history to get neutered as time passes.

So I dug in, took a trip down the national memory lane, and realized that I had most of it right to start with. There are a number of myths that get debunked along the way, but the debunking comes by way of an expansion of information rather than the removal of false facts.

One thing I DID notice that had flown under my personal radar for a number of years? It's frightening just how many times history really does seem to repeat itself. Things really do seem to progress cyclically. That's not to say we haven't made great leaps forward as far as discoveries and illuminating events go. Nosiree. Rather it means that despite all those leaps, we as a nation seem to make the same mistakes all over again, only on a grander scale.

At the same time, the other thing I took from this little refresher course is that it is STUNNING that such a relatively new country, that could barely wipe its own nose 150 years ago, has now become the global superpower that it is. That really is inspirational. At the same time, as a glance over my shoulder at the mistakes our government and the rotations of people in power seem to insist on repeating, I think our impressive growth spurt should also be handled with great care and be viewed with caution and adjusted with care.

PERFECT TIMING: It's actually kind of fitting that I just finished this book and chose to write about it today, since today is also my younger brother Jason's birthday! Jason is the hardcore history buff in the family, so I'm sure he would appreciate my urge to refresh my memory of the events that shaped our nation. Now look, here he comes, carrying a bunch of books about European history. Run!