A Different Mirror, Ronald Takaki
A Different Mirror, Ronald Takaki
10 Rating(s)
List: $24.99 | Sale: $17.50
Club: $12.49

A Different Mirror
A History of Multicultural America

Author: Ronald Takaki

Narrator: Peter Berkrot

Unabridged: 19 hr 47 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 03/31/2011


Synopsis

Upon its first publication, A Different Mirror was hailed by critics and academics everywhere as a dramatic new retelling of our nation's past. Beginning with the colonization of the New World, it recounts the history of America in the voice of the non-Anglo peoples of the United States—Native Americans, African Americans, Jews, Irish Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos, and others—groups who helped create this country's rich mosaic culture.

From the role of black soldiers in preserving the Union to the history of Chinese Americans from 1900 to 1941, from an investigation into the issue of "illegal" immigrants from Mexico to a look at the sudden visibility of Muslim refugees from Afghanistan, Takaki's work is a remarkable achievement that grapples with the raw truth of American history and examines the ultimate question of what it means to be an American.

About Ronald Takaki

Ronald Takaki (1939-2009), often cited as the father of multicultural studies, was the grandson of immigrant Japanese plantation workers in Hawaii. He received his undergraduate degree from the College of Wooster and his master's degree and Ph.D. in American history from the University of California, Berkeley. He taught at UC-Berkeley for over 30 years, and designed and led its Ethnic Studies Ph.D. program until his retirement. His many books include A Different Mirror, Strangers from a Different Shore, A Larger Memory, Iron Cages: Race and Culture in 19th-Century America, and Double Victory: A Multicultural History of America in World War II.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Mary on April 25, 2013

In the beginning, there was only one version of American history -- the one that began with the "discovery" of North America by Europeans, particularly the English, who created a beachhead of "civilization" on the East coast and then conquered a series of "frontiers" moving westward until they "won"......more

Goodreads review by Colleen on December 17, 2021

This is a very important book. I thought I knew a lot about the subject but this book showed me just how much I did not know. Delving into the history of the many groups that have entered America over time, it has a lot to teach. Dispelling myths and untruths about our history, it goes a long way to......more

Goodreads review by m7md on March 03, 2018

I don't think I can describe how appreciative I am of Ronald Takaki's writing style. This book gives an outline of how America has become the multicultural world it is today. This book was written so brilliantly that it was hard to put down for me. It contains so much forgotten pain and trauma that......more

Goodreads review by Ahmed on April 29, 2014

This book does not only depict the history of multi-cultural America but also predicts the future of multi-cultural America in a very pleasant and smooth way. The very beginning (A Different Mirror: the making of multicultural America) is the best part of the whole book. I just Love it. It gives gen......more

Goodreads review by Arthur on July 11, 2015

Recently a student told me how angry she was about how much of American history was "kept from her." By "kept," she was commenting on her own education and the depth of ignorance that her education created by ignoring or "whitewashing" (her word) the whole history of her country--the USA. Using only......more