The author is a very successful historical novelist. Here, he turns his attention to American ingenuity and sets out dozens of examples of the things this nation's people have accomplished. He credits our system of democracy and unfettered immigration for much of our history, and the rule of law for allowing this burgeoning of practicality and genius to prosper.
The tidbits I truly enjoyed are: the Conestoga wagon was the size of modern SUV; the Hudson River rail tunnels move with the tides; the roadbed of the Golden Gate Bridge can sway 28 feet in each direction; and whaling was the 5th largest US industry in the 1850's. There are dozens of other interesting and diverse topics here in this paean to Yankee ingenuity.
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