This is a list of books I've read over the years that I think are essential reading to understand the United States - its history, politics, economy, and society. I am purposefully making this a highly curated list with a few carefully selected works, most of which I have read or am very familiar with. It may contain a collection of non-fiction, philosophy, and fiction.
Understanding the United States Public
Created by Sean Bala
This is a list of books I've read over the years that I think are essential reading to understand the United States - its history, politics, economy, and society. I am purposefully making this a highly curated list with a few carefully selected works, most of which I have read or am very familiar with. It may contain a collection of non-fiction, philosophy, and fiction.
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It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis
3 stars
It Can't Happen Here is a semi-satirical American political novel published in 1935. It's Plot centers around newspaperman Doremus Jessup's …
Sean Bala says: Classic American novel centered around the rise of a crude, fast-talking politician to the US Presidency and the rise of fascism in the US in the 1930s. A biting, satire that looks at dark forces underpinning American life. Lewis was inspired by the rise of Louisiana politician Huey K. Long.
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All Our Relations by Tanya Talaga
4 stars
In this vital and incisive work, best-selling and award-winning author Tanya Talaga explores the alarming rise of youth suicide in …
Sean Bala says: Though this book is primarily centered on the Canadian experience for Indigenous peoples, I think that it is an excellent introduction to contemporary Indigenous issues. Good to read along with Thomas King's "An Inconvenient Indian."
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The Viper on the Hearth by Terryl Givens
4 stars
Published in 1997, Terryl Givens's The Viper on the Hearth was widely praised as a landmark work--indeed, The Wall Street …
Sean Bala says: An insightful study of the portrayal of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in American popular culture. It is a fascinating study that shows how religion and popular culture intertwine and reinforce each other.
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Our town by Thornton Wilder (Perennial classics)
Thornton Wilder contemplates ordinary life events (birth, family life, marriage, and death), mostly through one character, a young woman, Emily …
Sean Bala says: An absolute classic of American drama, this play is probably the most performed work of American theater. But don't let its popularity fool you - it is an immensely beautiful, moving work that shows the deep ties between the local and the cosmic. The setting is really every small town in America.
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Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz
4 stars
Confederates in the Attic (1998) is a work of non-fiction by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tony Horwitz. Horwitz explores his deep …
Sean Bala says: Part travel book and part meditation on historical memory, Horwitz looks at the way people continue to engage w the American Civil War. Horwitz was a hands-on, active reporter who really got to the level of his subjects. Memorable, thoughtful, and genuinely hilarious book.
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5 stars
A New York lawyer remembers his boyhood in Nebraska and his friendship with a pioneer Bohemian girl.
Sean Bala says: One of the most beautiful novels I've ever read - a wonderful, heartfelt examination of the immigrant experience against the backdrop of the Nebraska prairies.
