Have you ever read a really good textbook? We haven’t either—but this comes about as close as you can get. No matter how much you know about history, this book will teach you a thing or two. And while it’s interesting throughout, it still reads like a textbook for much of its length.

The theory that America isn’t one nation but actually 11 separate ones duct taped together is both fascinating and illuminating. It certainly explains a lot—from general voting patterns to distinct cultural pockets in certain parts of the country. Much of these nations derive from immigration patterns that we found discussion-worthy, including the idea that the Dutch, Scottish, and Spanish had a much bigger influence on the country than the British or French was eye-opening for many of us. Still, we found ourselves wondering about other groups that were glossed over, like Native Americans, Japanese, Chinese, and Eastern European immigrants.

The author left us wanting both more and less—all at the same time. Some parts of the book breeze past intriguing insights in a single sentence, while others feel like Charlie Brown’s teacher is reading the bibliography of an encyclopedia through a megaphone. This book was polarizing: a few people couldn’t get through it, while others couldn’t put it down. Also, there’s more about Canada than anyone expected—but no one seemed to mind.

Know thyself: if you like history or demography, you’ll probably enjoy this book. If you don’t, and think that those topics are about as fun as trying to swallow a box of Lego bricks, you should run away—fast... probably to the Deep South.

BUY THIS BOOK