Book Review: A People's History of the United States

On my sixteenth birthday, a cousin gifted me a copy of MAD magazine ("Number one in a field of one"). The magazine or comic book as some would call, satirizes various aspects of American life & generally takes the side of the underdog. It had a perspective that was unique and its irreverent (but never below-the-belt) humor kept me hooked for years. Last year an American friend presented me the book A People's History of the United States as a parting gift. I found this to be a serious version of MAD magazine in the way it chronicles American life. When I sat to read both books, I did not have any idea what I was getting into. Both turned out to be very thought provoking.

Prior to reading the book, I had scant knowledge of American History. To relate to it better, I started reading the chapters from the back. Covering the history of America through five centuries, the prolific author Howard Zinn empathetically tells the untold stories through the voices of oppressed and marginalized people. The book is filled with disturbing facts and inconvenient truths. Zinn picks on the flaws of American Presidents, powerful people and institutions to reveal a not-so-shiny side of USA. I got to learn about the diversity of America and the challenges a democractic country has to face. Despite the dissenting tone, the book helped me know a little more about the United States & what goes into the making of a country.