The Practical Guide to America: Entertaining American History for Curious People

History books usually fall into two categories: impossibly dry or hopelessly long.

This one is neither. Instead, think of it as the "greatest hits album" of American history. It's packed with the stories, characters, and oddball events that shaped a very unruly nation. From rebellious colonists tossing tea into Boston Harbor, to presidents who rewrote the rules of leadership, to astronauts, inventors, protestors, and entrepreneurs who changed the world (sometimes by accident), this book walk...