Like the collection itself, the artists presented here are richly varied, from early- and mid-twentieth-century masters such as Alexander Calder, Edward Hopper, and Georgia O'Keeffe to postwar icons such as Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, and Andy Warhol to contemporary artists such as Mike Kelley, Jeff Koons, and Cindy Sherman."--BOOK JACKET.

"American Visionaries presents masterworks from the Museum's unparalleled collection of twentieth- and twenty-first-century American art. Underscoring the Museum's commitment to in-depth collecting across media boundaries, these selections were drawn from the Permanent Collection of nearly 13,000 works and highlight the careers of more than 280 of the 2,450 artists represented in the Museum. Like the collection itself, the artists presented here are richly varied, from early- and mid-twentieth-century masters such as Alexander Calder, Edward Hopper, and Georgia O'Keeffe to postwar icons such as Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, and Andy Warhol to contemporary artists such as Mike Kelley, Jeff Koons, and Cindy Sherman."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

In this penetrating volume, Zachary Karabell examines the continuous thread that runs through the tapestry of the American experience -- the belief that we can create a perfect society -- and envisions what the next great era will be. Just as the Puritan vision of a city on a hill was supplanted by the Founding Fathers' vision of individuality, just as the expansive vision of a government-led Great Society was eclipsed by the New Economy of the 1990s, so too is the New Economy being replaced by what Karabell contends will be a period when community and spirituality occupy center stage.

This A to Z biographical dictionary contains 260 entries on important Americans from colonial times to the present. Each entry begins with a short description of the person's importance, then the entry provides the person's birth date and information, and proceeds chronologically though his/her life. Suggestions for further reading follow each entry. There is a topical introduction to the book, a bibliography at the end of the book, two subject indexes, and a general index.

Three decades of federal funding for the arts is chronicled in this revealing look at the NEA and its controversial role in promoting American art.

This beautiful family reference from National Geographic tells the story of America through its presidents, revolutionaries, visionaries, inventors, entertainers--and even its most notorious villains. Far more than an encyclopedia, this treasury tells the rich stories of the people who made America's history--and adds context with lush photographs, illustrations, timelines, artifacts, and more. Beginning with pre-colonial America and continuing through today, this beautifully illustrated book details the fascinating lives of the men and women who helped build the story of our nation. Arranged chronologically, it features more than 400 entries illustrated with lavish four-color photography and elegant illustrations. Intriguing stories and historical maps provide additional context in this comprehensive and enlightening look at America's storied past.

The extraordinary story of an unjustly forgotten group of Black men in Pittsburgh who became the first paramedics in America, saving lives and changing the course of emergency medicine around the world Until the 1970s, if you suffered a medical crisis, your chances of survival were minimal. A 9-1-1 call might bring police or even the local funeral home. But that all changed with Freedom House EMS in Pittsburgh, a group of Black men who became America’s first paramedics and set the gold standard for emergency medicine around the world, only to have their story and their legacy erased—until now. In American Sirens, acclaimed journalist and paramedic Kevin Hazzard tells the dramatic story of how a group of young, undereducated Black men forged a new frontier of healthcare. He follows a rich cast of characters that includes John Moon, an orphan who found his calling as a paramedic; Peter Safar, the Nobel Prize-nominated physician who invented CPR and realized his vision for a trained ambulance service; and Nancy Caroline, the idealistic young doctor who turned a scrappy team into an international leader. At every turn, Freedom House battled racism—from the community, the police, and the government. Their job was grueling, the rules made up as they went along, their mandate nearly impossible—and yet despite the long odds and fierce opposition, they succeeded spectacularly. Never-before revealed in full, this is a rich and troubling hidden history of the Black origins of America’s paramedics, a special band of dedicated essential workers, who stand ready to serve day and night on the line between life and death for every one of us.

Inspired by the San Francisco Symphony's highly successful American music festival last June, this book and its accompanying CD provide an entertaining survey of some of America's best-known composers--all of them controversial in their day.

Bestselling author and radio host Michael Medved recounts some of the most significant events in America’s rise to prosperity and power, from the writing of the Constitution to the Civil War. He reveals a record of improbabilities and amazements that demonstrate what the Founders always believed: that events unfolded according to a master plan, with destiny playing an unmistakable role in lifting the nation to greatness. Among the stirring, illogical episodes described here: • A band of desperate religious refugees find themselves blown hopelessly off course, only to be deposited at the one spot on a wild continent best suited for their survival • George Washington’s beaten army, surrounded by a ruthless foe and on the verge of annihilation, manages an impossible escape due to a freakish change in the weather • A famous conqueror known for seizing territory, frustrated by a slave rebellion and a frozen harbor, impulsively hands Thomas Jefferson a tract of land that doubles the size of the United States • A weary soldier picks up three cigars left behind in an open field and notices the stogies have been wrapped in a handwritten description of the enemy’s secret battle plans—a revelation that gives Lincoln the supernatural sign he’s awaited in order to free the slaves When millions worry over the nation losing its way, Medved’s sweeping narrative, bursting with dramatic events and lively portraits of unforgettable, occasionally little-known characters, affirms America as “fortune’s favorite,” shaped by a distinctive destiny from our beginnings to the present day.

Discover the twists and turns of one of America’s great infrastructure projects with this “engrossing history of the creation of the U.S. interstate system” (Los Angeles Times). It’s become a part of the landscape that we take for granted, the site of rumbling eighteen-wheelers and roadside rest stops, a familiar route for commuters and vacationing families. But during the twentieth century, the interstate highway system dramatically changed the face of our nation. These interconnected roads—over 47,000 miles of them—are man-made wonders, economic pipelines, agents of sprawl, uniquely American symbols of escape and freedom, and an unrivaled public works accomplishment. Though officially named after President Dwight D. Eisenhower, this network of roadways has origins that reach all the way back to the World War I era, and The Big Roads—“the first thorough history of the expressway system” (The Washington Post)—tells the full story of how they came to be. From the speed demon who inspired a primitive web of dirt auto trails to the largely forgotten technocrats who planned the system years before Ike reached the White House to the city dwellers who resisted the concrete juggernaut when it bore down on their neighborhoods, this book reveals both the massive scale of this government engineering project, and the individual lives that have been transformed by it. A fast-paced history filled with fascinating detours, “the book is a road geek’s treasure—and everyone who travels the highways ought to know these stories” (Kirkus Reviews).