The Intellectual Devotional: American History: Revive Your Mind, Complete Your Education, and Converse Confidently about Our Nation's Past [Hardcover]

A little over a year ago, I was given the opportunity to review "The Intellectual Devotional: Revive Your Mind, Complete Your Education, and Roam Confidently with the Cultured Class." I said in my review that I did not intend to read the entire book before writing my review. The reason was because it was not that sort of book; it was meant to be read one page each day for 365 days. The book was a year's worth of learning about seven topics (a different one for each day of the week): history, literature, visual arts, science, music, philosophy, and religion. The book was designed to be similar to the popular religious or spiritual devotionals used every day by millions of people. I have just completed the year's worth of reading (I actually started the book before the first of this year so, of course, I finished it before the start of next year). "The Intellectual Devotional" was everything I expected it to be and I repeat my high recommendation of it.

Now the authors, David S. Kidder and Noah D. Oppenheim, present to us a second volume of what I suppose will become a "devotional" series. This one is titled "The Intellectual Devotional: American History: Revive Your Mind, Complete Your Education, and Converse Confidently about Our Nation's Past." It is set up with the same format as the first one, except that the seven topics (all related to American history) are: politics & leadership, war & peace, rights & reform, business, building America, literature, and arts. Again, one general topic for each day of the week with 365 learning pages. As with the first volume, I have not read the entire book before writing this review. I have perused the text, reading here and there, and am impressed with the scope of the subject matter.

Think of it! If you read just one page each day and actually learn one fact each day, you should have 365 facts about American history at your fingertips for the next cocktail party or bull session, enabling you to "converse confidently about our nation's past." And you will have done it effortlessly without any heavy brainwork or cramming. For many readers, much of the information may be a review of long-forgotten items. For others, it will be a new intellectual journey into our country's heritage. I might submit here that this would be an excellent gift for a high school or middle school student since the material is easily read and does not require any special knowledge beyond the common and no vocabulary beyond the ordinary.

There are two things that I didn't mention in my review of the first volume which became important to me over the course of the past year. I will mention them in regard to this second volume because, while minor and often considered secondary, they are important to me personally. First, these editions are solid hardbacks and the first volume maintained its physical structure despite the daily use; in other words, it is rugged and does not fall apart as so many heavily-used modern hardbacks tend to do. My first volume looks as good as it did the first day. I presume this new volume (whose physical structure appears to be the same) will also maintain its integrity. Secondly, and following a common tradition among many devotionals, a ribbon bookmark is actually built into the book itself, making it easy to keep your place from day to day. I hate it when a regular bookmark falls out of a book and I have to find my place again (of course, that's just one of life's little irritants but . . .).

Anyone who purchases "The Intellectual Devotional" or receives it as a gift will not be disappointed. It is a great way to keep one's mind active and learn something new each day which adds some cultural capital to one's intellectual bank account. The only thing I am disturbed about is that I didn't think of this idea myself. I think it's a clever project and my congratulations go to the authors. I do intend to begin reading again the first volume, probably this time as a bedtime practice. As for this new volume, it will now become my morning coffee companion. The first volume did an excellent job at that the first time around. I have no reason to believe that the new one will not do the same. Highly recommended!

Devote five minutes a day to this book, and in one year you'll be able to dazzle - or annoy - your friends with your newfound knowledge about America's past. The Intellectual Devotional: American History is sliced 365 ways and delivered to you in fun-size chunks, one page at a time. It covers seven categories, one for each day of the week.

On each page is a one paragraph summary followed by several paragraphs of detail, followed by two or three footnote-looking trivia nuggets. This reader's digest of U.S. history keeps it brief and interesting.

On Mondays, we learn about Politics and Leadership, from Washington delivering the shortest inaugural address on record to John F. Kennedy winning the Pulitzer Prize.

Tuesdays bring the subject of War and Peace, where we learn tidbits like John Adams, America's second president, serving as the defense attorney to the commander of the British troops following the Boston Massacre. And that two percent of the U.S. population died during the Civil War. Two percent! That's like nine million people at today's prices.

The topic for Wednesdays is Rights and Reform. We follow America's journey living up to its philosophical promise, briefly exploring subjects such as the Great Awakenings and multiple civil rights movements.

On Thursdays, we get down to Business, or the history of it and its impact on the American economy through discoveries of natural resources and advances in technology from the Cotton Gin to the Gold Rush to the Internet.

Friday's theme is Building America, where we learn about the history of building, as well as destroying, America's infrastructure. How did barbed wire get started? Whose idea was that? When did Yankee stadium open, and when do they plan to tear it down? Did Mrs. O'Leary's cow kick over that kerosene lamp? Who knew infrastructure could be so fascinating?

Which brings us to Saturdays and Literature. Edgar Allan Poe. Hemingway. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Uncle Tom's Cabin. Did you know that Harriet Beecher-Stowe and Mark Twain were next-door neighbors?

On Sundays, you can enjoy educational entries on the Arts. Do you know from which novel's character Starbuck's gets its name? Which 1990 movie is a remake of Casablanca? How many times has Lisa Marie Presley been married?

The Intellectual Devotional: American History is presented in a way that's entertaining, accessible and easily digestible. You can pick it up and put it down for as little or as long as you like. You can jump to the end and read it backwards, or open it up to a random page and start reading. It's like 365 little Ken Burns documentaries crammed into the convenience of a portable reader.

And why aren't more books adorned with a handy built-in red ribbon bookmark?

Reviewed by Margaret Andrews for Curled Up With A Good Book

This simply put is a fascinating and fun book. It's like a miniature index of intelligence. There are things in here that will interest you or perhaps intrigue you enough to buy his first book The Intellectual Devotional: Revive Your Mind, Complete Your Education, and Roam Confidently with the Cultured Class. I also highly recommend the book Understanding: Train of Thought; you won't be disappointed with any of these.

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