This two-volume reader consists of twenty-nine original essays, each one crafted by a scholar who is an expert in a particular field of historical inquiry. Each decade of American history is represented by at least one essay. The stories cover a wide range of topics including popular culture, women's history, urban history, and the history of science and technology. The essays also shed light on political, social, economic, and cultural trends. After reading these engaging pieces, students will be left with a sense of a living past, not abstract historiographical debates.