American Icons: An Encyclopedia of the People, Places, and Things That Have Shaped Our Culture [3 Volumes] (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780275984212)

What do Madonna, Ray Charles, Mount Rushmore, suburbia, the banjo, and the Ford Mustang have in common? Whether we adore, ignore, or deplore them, they all influence our culture, and color the way America is perceived by the world.

In this A-to-Z collection of essays scholars explore more than one hundred people, places, and phenomena as they seek to discover what it means to be labeled icon. From the Alamo to Muhammad Ali, from John Wayne to the zipper, the American icons covered in this unique three-volume set include subjects from culture, law, art, food, religion, and science. By providing numerous ways for the reader to engage in the process of interpreting these images and artifacts, the work serves as a unique resource for students of American history and culture. Features 100 illustrations.

What do Madonna, Ray Charles, Mount Rushmore, suburbia, the banjo, and the Ford Mustang have in common? Whether we adore, ignore, or deplore them, they all influence our culture, and color the way America is perceived by the world. This A-to-Z collection of essays explores more than one hundred people, places, and phenomena that have taken on iconic status in American culture. The scholars and writers whose thoughts are gathered in this unique three-volume set examine these icons through a diverse array of perspectives and fields of expertise. Ranging from the Alamo to Muhammad Ali, from John Wayne to the zipper, this selection of American icons represents essential elements of our culture, including law, art, food, religion, and science. Featuring more than 100 illustrations, this work will serve as a unique resource for students of American history and culture.

The interdisciplinary scholars in this work examine what it means when something is labeled as an icon. What common features do the people, places, and things we deem to be iconic share? To begin with, an icon generates strong responses in people, it often stands for a group of values (John Wayne), it reflects forces of its time, it can be reshaped or extended by imitation, and it often breaks down barriers between various segments of American culture, such as those that exist between white and black America, or between high and low art. The essays contained in this set examine all these aspects of American icons from a variety of perspectives and through a lively range of rhetoric styles.

Author: Dennis R. Hall
ISBN-10: 0275984214
ISBN-13: 9780275984212
Publisher: Greenwood
Language: English
Published: 06/01/2006
Pages: 952
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 5.43lbs
Size: 10.18h x 7.16w x 2.87d

Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 09/01/2006 pg. 178
School Library Journal 12/01/2006 pg. 88
Reference and Research Bk News 11/01/2006 pg. 66
Voice of Youth Advocates 04/01/2007 pg. 87
Booklist 02/15/2007 pg. 104
American Reference Bks Annual 01/01/2007 pg. 497