Book Review of Reader's Digest America

Book Review of Reader's Digest America

The book Reader's Digest America describes how America has improved over the years. America was initially formed in 1692 when Pilgrims and Puritans traveling on the Mayflower were able to establish settlements. We learn that America improved because of Christianity and the manner that Christian individuals prospered despite opposition and adversity. We learn that the Pilgrims and Puritans moved to America because of persecution. We learn that William Tyndale was persecuted for interpreting the Scriptures from Hebrew to English. Pilgrims and Puritans then went to live in the US and established settlements. 

Even in the new settlements, the Pilgrims and Puritans were persecuted by hostile native americans who burned down Jamestown and also caused hostilities. Despite persecution, Pilgrims and Puritans persevered creating additional settlements. The Pilgrims and Puritans created the original colonies and also moved west. Eventually, America would be made of 50 states and describes how Christianity helps nations improve. With the Civil Right's Movement in the 1960s, America removed racism and segregation from civil society. Christians were able to help end segregation with the 1964 Civil Rights Act, 1965 Voting Rights Act, and 1968 Housing Legislation. We learn that America has prospered because of Christianity. We can persevere with optimism. The Reader's Digest book describes the history of America and also describes books, stories, and different timelines. The history of America described in Reader's Digest America is accurate yet there are some descriptions that are not truthful such as the belief that all Native Americans were pacifists and that all Christian settlers were negative and evil. We learn that there were Native Americans that were pacifists including Sacagewea and her tribe of Native Americans that helped Louis and Clark in their expedition yet there were also hostile native americans who attacked settlements and pacifist settlers.

The book also describes how America initially was created by the Pilgrims and Puritans yet grew because of Christian values and integrity. The nation of America grew to the West since the eastern territories were growing in population. Settlers decided to move West and settle in new states that resulted in America having 50 states. We learn that America has improved over the years including settling in new land, ending slavery in the 1860s with Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and new amendment that ended slavery, and passing anti-segregation legislation in the 1960s by JFK. We learn that America has improved despite opposition and racism. We can persist seeing the positive side of life.

There are also descriptions of individuals that were American figures including Abraham Lincoln and JFK. We learn that Lincoln was able to practice integrity and help others in the 1860s. Lincoln was an American who was not born affluent yet was able to work hard and improved. Other individuals like Joe McCarthy were described in negative terms. McCarthy was described in a negative manner despite having exposed the socialists in the 1950s.

Joe McCarthy Probably Was Slandered by Socialists in the 1950s

There was a short description of Senator Joe McCarthy in the book that also villified him as a negative individual. This was probably because he was outing the socialists in the 1950s and the book described how his supposed "witch hunts" were causing individuals that were "not socialists" to be falsely accused. It is possible that FBI socialists accused real Christians of being socialists in order to blame McCarthy of McCarthyism and "witch hunts" and prevent other socialists from being outed. Other individuals may have then believed that McCarthy had falsely accused when it was the FBI socialists that falsely accused. The reality was that socialists that were fake christians in the clergy and army were being outed and this caused envy from socialists who were infiltrating the clergy and army in the 1950s. Nixon was a socialist and was a false christian.

McCarthy was accused of "witch hunts" when in reality he was outing socialists. The socialists probably began accusing and slandering McCarthy with lies and falsehoods and probably even harmed McCarthy. There is healthy skepticism about McCarthy having harmed himself in the 1950s when he was a Senator, had fought in the Second World War, had adopted a child with his wife, and was fighting against socialism. It is most likely that McCarthy was slandered and did not harm himself.