Window on the United States : a university primer

For centuries the image of America has beckoned-its vast expanses, its rich and diverse culture, and its vigorous social life. Recently it has become hard to imagine a day without arresting headlines about events in the United States, and there is a constant discussion about how phenomena there are impacting the rest of the world. Even though the United States is in many cases viewed more critically today, to many people around the globe it remains the land of opportunity. This book provides a nuanced picture of the country-its resources and heritage, its advances and challenges. Window on the United States introduces readers to American geo graphy, ethnic diversity, government, education, and social problems. It is primarily intended for university-level English language courses outside the United States, but it can also be of interest to general readers, including Americans. The author explains many basic concepts and phenomena with the foreign adult reader in mind and illustrates his points with numerous examples, including links to relevant podcasts and to websites for further research and reading. This 6th edition has been updated throughout, and covers the 2016 presidential election and the beginning of the Donald Trump administration in 2017. The book will be continually updated by the author, see the Extramaterial tab.