July Greedy Reader Book Club

July 6, 2009

The July Greedy Readers Book Club meeting will be held Tuesday, July 28 at 2 p.m. in room Y-233. All students, faculty and staff are invited to attend.

The book for July is "American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies at the Founding of the Republic," by Joseph J. Ellis.

From the publisher:

"From the first shots fired at Lexington to the signing of the Declaration of Independence to the negotiations for the Louisiana Purchase, Joseph J. Ellis guides us through the decisive issues of the nation's founding, and illuminates the emerging philosophies, shifting alliances, and personal and political foibles of our now iconic leaders–Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, and Adams.

"He casts an incisive eye on the founders' achievements, arguing that the American Revolution was, paradoxically, an evolution–and that part of what made it so extraordinary was the gradual pace at which it occurred.

"He explains how the idea of a strong federal government was eventually embraced by the American people, and details the emergence of the two-party system, which stands as the founders' most enduring legacy.

"Ellis is equally incisive about their failures, and he makes clear how their inability to abolish slavery and to reach a just settlement with the Native Americans has played an equally important role in shaping our national character. With eloquence and insight, Ellis strips the mythic veneer of the revolutionary generation to reveal men both human and inspired, possessed of both brilliance and blindness."

For more information please contact Ramona Miller-Ridlon at 381-3637.

Greedy Readers webpage