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Promised Land: Thirteen Books That Changed America

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When I first picked up "Promised Land," I must admit I feared I may be embarking on another dry survey of American Literature; that or a greatest hits collection that simply retold great American novels the likes of Gatsby and Moby Dick, incredible as they are. Instead, I found myself pleasantly surprised. By no means obscure, Promised Land does an superb job of including canonized classics like Uncle Tom's Cabin and Walden alongside the less expected Dr. Spock and Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People.

Parini is a master at keeping his writing accessible to all readers, and despite the work's academic-sounding title, Parini's prose are light and highly insightful, resulting in a quick and enthralling read. His deep knowledge of his subject and colorful, one-of-a-kind anecdotes keep the pages turning throughout.

In the end, Parini produces a book suited for anyone who has ever marveled at an American novel or pondered what it means for literature to be American. Whether you have studied these works at length or have just read one or two back in high school, you will be amazed and touched by Parini's diligence and the careful consideration that went into crafting the Promised Land.

Is it possible to winnow down all the great books that have been written in --- and about --- America to a baker's dozen? Jay Parini thinks so and offers PROMISED LANED as proof.

Parini --- a poet, novelist, biographer and professor at Middlebury College in Vermont --- selects his choices dating back to William Bradford's HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH PLANTATION and ending with Betty Friedan's THE FEMININE MYSTIQUE. He defines his selection process as including books "that helped to create the intellectual and emotional contours of this country. Each played a significant role in developing a complex value system that flourishes to this day."

The other 11 titles feature a combination of novels and nonfiction, (relatively) light reading and much more serious fare: THE FEDERALIST PAPERS by Alexander Hamilton, THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, THE JOURNALS OF LEWIS AND CLARK, WALDEN, UNCLE TOM'S CABIN by Harriet Beecher Stowe, Mark Twain's THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN, THE SOULS OF BLACK FOLK by W. E. B. Du Bois, THE PROMISED LAND by Mary Antin, Dale Carnegie's HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE, THE COMMON SENSE BOOK OF BABY AND CHILD CARE by Dr. Benjamin Spock, and Jack Kerouac's ON THE ROAD.

Each analysis consists of a brief biographical look at the author and an in-depth examination of the book and its impact on American society. Parini also shows how each volume has held up; sensibilities during the time each was printed have greatly changed over the generations, but they still pack a punch.

Parini actually embraces the discomfort one might find in discussing certain themes, such as the treatment of African-Americans in Dubois's SOULS OF THE BLACK FOLK or THE PROMISED LAND, a novel about the struggles of Jewish immigrants to adjust to life in a new homeland. The content of these books are connected, Parini insists. One common theme is the struggle to survive and thrive, be it as a colonial state: "One learns a lot about America by looking at these texts closely --- and the texts that swirl around them," he writes, freely admitting that his choices are quite personal.

A book like this is designed to engender discussion. Why this book and not that? As widely-read as it has been, does Carnegie's masterwork --- ostensibly the first "self-help" book --- merit consideration as one of the elite that "changed America"? Or Spock's book on child care? Surely there are others better suited for inclusion. Fear not, for Parini offers another hundred titles of similar significance, any one of which the reader might want to substitute for the 13 finalists.

--- Reviewed by Ron Kaplan

Americans are utopians, as the list of the country's 13 most influential books -- as selected by Parini -- suggests. And Parini himself is perhaps a utopian of sorts simply by attempting to undertake such a mammoth task.

This is an interesting addition to the ongoing debate over whether it's possible to create a canon of great books. Parini doesn't get that ambitious, thankfully. He isn't suggesting that all the books he recommends are great: rather, only that they significantly transformed American politics or society in some critical way. Therefore, we have everything from Uncle Tom's Cabin to Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People on the list -- neither of which could be dubbed great literary works. In fact, I'd suggest that only Walden, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and On the Road would even qualify for inclusion. But each book does shed light on a different facet of the American identity, from our struggle to reconcile our insistence on freedom with the need for government and our urge to push our boundaries ever wider (Twain, along with Lewis & Clark), to race and gender issues

Even by that standard, I'm not sure that I can agree with all of Parini's suggestions for inclusion in the list, although that really isn't the point. He himself admits that it is subjective and one that was compiled with great difficulty -- and with an appendix (with comments) on a hundred additional works that could have been included. But the works do have a unifying theme running through them -- the endless quest for perfection and, in particular, a perfect society. (In the works selected from the 20th century, Parini deviates slightly to focus on those that deal more with efforts of individuals to perfect themselves, as represented by everyone from Dr. Spock to Dale Carnegie.)

The strength of the narrative lies in the introductions to the work, where Parini sets each book in the context of its time and discusses its impact. Unfortunately, the effort to divide each discussion into four parts feels like an artificial structure. The nature of the project calls for as freewheeling a structure and discussion as possible, not one that is broken down as if it were a recipe. (Part 1: context; Part 2: publication history & author's biographical detail; Part 3; summary of the work's salient points; Part 4; the work's legacy.)

Ultimately, those who will find this book of greatest value may be those with the least knowledge of American history or society. The majority of the discussion of each work lies in the third part, the summaries. Anyone already familiar with, say, Walden, may find the discussion an interesting reminder of its contents, but there are few fresh insights. Even when the contents are less familiar and are inherently interesting to the reader (I had never read the Federalist Papers, for instance), this section drags. Had the structure been more accessible, interweaving the circumstances of each book's creation and publication with its contents and impact, the contents would have resonated more with me.

Still, reading the introductions to each chapter and pondering the common elements and differences between the selected books is an intriguing intellectual exercise, and the project itself would make a fabulous starting point for a book group discussion.

I originally picked this book up to hear what Mr. Parini had to say about Ben Franklin's autobiography. I teach it in my high school AP classes, so I wanted to see if I could get fresh insight on the book.

Of course, I am writing this review because I found much more than an insightful discussion of Franklin's autobiography.

Like all great books, this one builds on itself chapter by chapter, drawing lines of force between all of the books, painting American Literature as a centuries-long conversation.

By the time Parini writes about Kerouac's On the Road, he is drawing parallels between most of the books that he has discussed before, including Walden, The Promised Land, and Huck Finn, and he is doing so in a strong, formal prose that also invites the casual reader. Parini is, after all, a poet.

Some may quibble with the 13 books he chooses, but these particular books, put in chronological order, allow Parini (to paraphrase a line from Parini himself in the book) to do more than tell a picaresque story; it allows him to deliver a narrative, a plot, with one book necessarily issuing as a new voice in a long conversation.

I have read most of the 13 books included here, and what makes this book so powerful is Parini's ability to capture the tone and the impact of the books he discusses, even the ones that aren't "classics" in a literary sense. In fact, he does not simply choose books he likes; he displays condescension for "How to Win Friends and Influence People," while noting its powerful impact on him as a young man.

I originally planned on having my students read the Franklin chapter, but I'm pretty sure now they'll be reading the whole thing. "The Promised Land" is intelligent, insightful, powerful, and, above all, engaging.

I usually avoid books like this one but knowing Parini's previous works and having been impressed by his Why Poetry Matters I bought a copy just to sit once again in his classroom between book covers. Some of his choices surprised me: Dr. Spock? Dale Carnegie? Betty Friedan? But as the subtitle and introduction reminded me, this is not a survey of the best American literature but an analysis of the books that had the most impact on our unique character. With this in mind I found that his choices make perfect sense. This is a book I could not put down once picked up; Parini's writing style is such that he creates a slight tension between chapters and one wants to read on to find out what happens next. Very rare in a work of nonfiction.

It looks like our country is entering a time when intellect will once again matter, when we will have a president who actually reads fine books from cover to cover and when we just might resuscitate an almost comatose curiosity in our American heritage. Parini's Promised Land, without pomposity and flag-waving, can do a lot to restore some honest pride in who we were and how we became who we are.

I have a twenty-year-old nephew who without any trace of shame boasts that he made it through public school and two years of junior college without ever once reading an entire book. I am giving him Promised Land for Christmas; I am that sure Parini will get through to him in ways his previous teachers could or would not.

The object of a work like Parini's -- in my opinion -- is always to provoke thought, and thankfully, to remind people of our literary heritage. It does not matter whether we agree or not: intelligent debate and civil discourse are, unfortunately, on the Endangered Species list, so Parini's book is a most welcome one. I was thrilled to see Uncle Tom's Cabin, the true opening salvo in a triumviate of events that led to the American Civil War, setting the ground work for John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry, and the election of Abraham Lincoln. Here was a novel that did for America what "Les Miserable" did for France: despite it's fictional characters, it offered an honest and searing portrait of legal brutality, and helped tranform a nation from it's ugliest and bloodiest institution. Some of these were no-brainers: The Federalist Papers and Walden for certain, along with the seminal American novel, Huckleberry Finn, which not only opened America's eyes to its sad and colorful Western character, but freed literature from stuffy convention. I would not have thought of Lewis & Clark's book, nor would I include Carnegie's book on charming your neighbors and co-workers, despite its enormous popularity. What is most glaringly absent is Masters & Johnson's treatise on human sexuality, during a time when medical schools were making breakthrough after breakthrough and none of them had a single course on human sexuality. It triggered, for better or worse, the great sexual revolution and provided millions with the opportunity to understand their own bodies and pleasure. And the absence of a single work of poetry -- Parini stated as much in a CSPAN interview -- is a glaring omission. I would have to believe that Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass, his advocacy of the democratic spirit in American life, his introduction of free verse, his overtly sexual references and celebration of individuality during a horrifically oppressive and regimented era, his bold support of Deism and equanimity among all religions, his eventual vagabond influence on the Beat Generation and even Dram Stroker's Dracula would qualify him for inclusion beyond almost any other author. And for modern influence, is there really a book that has done more to influence individual life than the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, which is now the foundation of a dozen other 12-step groups, the lynch-pin in the centuries old struggle to end personal horror, spousal abuse, familial battery and disintegration caused by the world-wide epidemic in alcohol and drug abuse? That it has saved the lives of millions, and saved tens of millions from the reciprocal horrors of living with a raving addicts world-wide would qualify it as an indispensable influence in modern life. Then there is the absence of anything by the most broadly influential American writer of the 20th Century: Jack London. His book "The People of the Abyss" was the rally point in the abolition of child labor, his "John Barleycorn" was the first comprehensive confessional on the horrors of alcoholism, his "Call of the Wild" celebrated rugged individualism and decried the horrors of humanity stripped to its base instincts, and "War of the Classes," Jack's treatise on the exploitation of workers and working poor. Even Jack London's essay on surfing from "Cruise of the Snark" triggered the international surfing craze: whatever London touched seemed to resonate broadly. Kudos, Mr. Parini: you have people talking, and discussing books, and that is a very good thing. James Dalessandro, author of Bohemian Heart, Citizen Jane, and 1906.

I used to say that if I could give only ONE book to my daughter or son as s/he went off to Yale it would be Bartlett's Familiar Quotations because it gives the lay of the human landscape throughout history.

I have changed my mind: It would NOW be Parini's The Promised Land because it gives the landscape of the human condition through the lay of our literary land.

What a wonderful read it is. (I may do it twice!).

The chapter on Thoreau is lyrically beautiful. And I had precisely the same experience with Dale Carnegie that Parini had:conversion, then revulsion!

I couldn't put the book down---it helped me tie up all the loose ends and
fill in all the missing links of my four college degrees (two of them in
literature!)

I give it a definite FIVE STAR and may buy it as a holiday gift for
others --------to help the economy.

Paul D. Keane
White River Junction, VT

"How many a man has dated a new era in his life from the reading of a book?"~ Thoreau.
As a mother of two young children who also works full time, I cannot stress enough how much I enjoyed escaping to read this book. I was determined to finish it and enjoyed every moment stolen to dive into its pages. I was reminded and encouraged - I promptly made sure I had a copy of each of the 13 books in our family library. I look forward to rereading them with my children in the coming years.

Dr. Jay Parini is a poet, novelist, college teacher and literary scholar. In "Promised Land" he has selected thirteen books which he believes have had importance in moulding the American character. Parini admits that he could have as easily chosen other classic American books but has limited himself to the thirteen under study. At the end of the tome he lists 100 more influential American books.
Parini's examination of each of the thirteen books is divided into four parts:
1. He talks about the book's impact on American culture and its historical importance.
2. He provides a brief biographical sketch of the book's author; its printing history while at the
same time providing the historical context in which the work emerged.
3. A chapter by chapter discussion of the book's content.
4. A look at the book's legacy in American history and letters
The books discussed are:
1. Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford. This seventeenth century Pilgrim classic is the first book in American history in the genre of immigrant literature. It gives an account of the Plymouth Plantation by the governor of the colony.
2. The Federalist Papers were written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and James Madison. These 85 cogent essays appeared in early American newspapers. The books were instrumental in leading to the Constitution winning approval. The essays are a sine qua non in constitutional interpretation. A key element work of governmental philosophy written by three geniuses of the American Enlightenment.
3. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. The first and best of American autobiographical works. Benjamin Franklin is the most avuncular of the founding fathers. In his rags to riches autobiography we see the American love of hard work, discipline and dedication in forwarding one's self. Franklin was a printer, inventor, scientist, statesman and author.
4. The Journals of Lewis and Clark chart the course of their exploration of the American West in 1804. President Jefferson commissioned them to travel to the West Coast following the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Their journals explore the flora, fauna, American Indians and beauty of the land. Americans have always been a people enamored by manifest destiny and moving into unexplored regions of the vast continent they inhabit.
5. Walden by Henry David Thoreau (1817-62) describes his months spent on Walden Pond living simply in a log cabin. The book is valuable as environmental literature and poetic focus on self-development. Thoreau was a New England transcendentalist.
6. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe was written in 1852. It is abolitionist literature crying out for the end of slavery.
7. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by the inimitable Mark Twain (1835-1910) is a contender for the greatest American novel. The novel traces the friendship between Huck and his black friend Jim as they travel down the Mississipi River in quest of freedom. This is a trip to the heart of American darkenes. As the novel ends we find Huck grown into disillusioned but experienced manhood. He wants to leave civilization behind and light out for the territory. Twain's best book and a true American classic.
8. The Soul of Black Folk is by W.E.B. DuBois the first black man to be awarded a doctorate from Harvard. This early 20th century book is a series of essays on the sad plight of black folk in white America. Racism and cruelty towards African-America citizens has been one of the major tragedies of American life.
9.the Promised Land (which lends its title to Parini's book) is by Mary Antin. Mary was a girl from the Russian pale of Jewish settlement who immigrated to Boston as a young girl in the early twentieth century. It is a good example of the importance of immigrant literature.
10. How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carneige was first published in 1936 in the midst of the Great Depression. It is still being printed. The book is one of the first and best of the self-help books designed to assist businessmen and others to develop self-esteeem and self themselves and their products in the fiercely competitive American economy. Author Parini says the book helped him to devlop people skills while he was a schooboy in Scranton, Pa.
11. The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care by Dr. Benjamin Spock came out in 1946. It is still in print. The book influenced the way parents raised the baby boomer generation with a more loving and child centered approach. Spock later became an opponent of the Vietnam War.
12. On the Road by Jack Kerouac (1922-69) is a buddy book as Sid Paradise and his fun loving friend Dean Moriarty go on a wild jazz and sex fueled trip across the continent. The book is the bible of the beat generation and is notable for its vivid prose.
13. The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan was the chief book in the second wave of American feminism. Frieden spoke to middle class and well educated women who were bored with their lives as housewives and mothers. This controversial book lighted the flame of feminism and the cries for gender equality. The book was published to wide bestseller readership in 1963.
Jay Parini has left out many other books which could have been included in his chronological survey of important books in American history. He does provide good overviews of the books he chooses to survey. The book could be used well in a class on American Literature, History or in the hands of anyone interested in American Literature.
A good and useful book!

This book is a must read for anybody interested in learning more about America.
The author picked 13 books that influenced thought in America to such an extent that they shaped the way society and institutions work to this day. The book is very informative and surprisingly entertaining.
I read extensively about history and no other book has managed to give me such a concise insight on what it means to be an American and on what drives the current political discourse
This book is like a crash course in American history and civics. You'll learn about the Mayflower, the origins of Thanksgiving, the Constitution, the Federalist Papers, Benjamin Franklin, Lewis and Clark and many many other historical figures and events. But this is not a book that lists names, dates and events, it's a book that explains the role of these figures and events in the overarching narrative of America as an idea.
I highly recommend it. An intelligent read.