Hey RCB, I taught American History for thirty-five years. I am so used to reading biographies, and topic specific history books. It's so easy to become an expert on historical detail while sacrificing historical context. Every once in awhile, I like a book that focuses on a thirty-five thousand foot perspective of history; that makes a case for how the details fit together, and what might be learned with regard to where we might be going. Though I'm only a hundred pages in, this book provides such perspective. Andersen takes an almost scientific approach. He starts with the hypothesis that America is "haywire." (I would tend to agree with that view...) Starting briefly with the Reformation, he makes an awesomely interesting case that America has been on the path to "haywiredom" for a long time. However, I'm afraid that many readers devoutly affiliated with a particular social, religious, or political philosophy may be in danger of having their head explode. I plan to read his newer book, "Evil Genuises" next.