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This study is the first interpretive text for the study of
American exceptionalism and the first overall assessment of
geographic, political, economic, social, and cultural aspects of
the American past written from a global perspective. Russo argues
that life in the United States can be better understood if it is
examined from either a wider perspective-the English speaking
world, the Western Hemisphere, Western Civilization-or a narrower
perspective-regional and local variations. Even when the Americans
were innovative-in their multi-ethnic and multi-racial society, in
their egalitarian social beliefs, in their political
democracy-their innovations were soon copied by others. Therefore,
Russo argues, they are no longer distinctly American.
Using nations as the basis for fields of study can both reveal
and distort the historical record. When one considers different
perspectives, America's uniqueness recedes in importance. American
culture was a variant of a wider Western culture. The American
economy was an extension of Western capitalism, whether agrarian,
commercial, or industrial. American society was a Western society
with racial castes and multi-ethnic additions to the population.
American government functioned like other Western governments, even
with innovative forms: Republican, then democratic. The American
past is thus seen to be far less distinctive than previous
syntheses have assumed.
Nations and other political entities are inadequate bases for
studying the human past, because the other aspects of human life
are not organized along the same lines as these political entities.
All communities, including local ones, are amoeba-like, changing
size and shape as we observe and probe them. Historians can improve
the way they generalize about the past by tailoring their
conclusions to the actual evidence they use. By using an array of
historical questions of interest to scholars in all of the
humanistically oriented disciplines, historians can offer more
profound interpretations of their subjects, rather than confining
themselves to an explanation of how and why human life evolves or
persists through time and space. By doing so, historians can also
significantly extend their influence among the general
population.
Long before Americans were imbued with the sense of a national
past, local antiquarians and amateur historians wrote about the
people, places, and happenings that were closest to their hearts,
creating in the process a historical record of incalculable value.
This gold mine of information and commentary is often overlooked by
today's scholars. Russo's book puts us in touch with the historical
consciousness of the American people and the once-paramount concern
for the particular, the concrete, and the familiar.
A year has passed since Eshel Bresler, my good friend and
colleague, and a member of the editorial board of the Advanced
Series in Agricultural Sciences, died suddenly while on a visit to
the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing. We had worked together
for almost 30 years at the Institute of Soils and Water, ARO, The
Volcani Center at Bet Dagan. At the very beginning of our
scientific careers we cooperated directly and as a result one of
our first publications was coauthored (Soil Sci. 101:205-209,
1966). Thereafter, our specific research interests diver sified,
but we continued to work together, with similar approaches to
research, and to strive towards the development of Israel soil
science and its integration into general worldwide scientific
progress. I don't need to emphasize Eshel's contribution to the
understan ding of the processes governing water flow and solute
transport pro cesses in soils and unsaturated zones. The
contributions to this Volume by such a body of outstanding
scientists shows the apprecia tion of the international scientific
community to his research achievements."
- In this book is an acronym that is the foundation of public
speaking. - You can learn about public speaking and refer to this
book while teaching your child. - Inside is an easy way to have an
organized speech with an opening, middle, and conclusion for your
child to present in front of you. - A number of fun activities,
techniques, and information about public speaking are also
included. - And you can bond with your child as a guide while
practicing public speaking together.
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