ABSTRACT
Once a history book moves out of the distant past and into recent and contemporary scenarios, a new prospect presents itself. The person reading the book-you-----can actually remember the events being described on the page. You might zoom in a whole lot more when you read about George W. Bush and the war in Iraq, or about Hillary Clinton's presidential candidacy, or about how Congress funds college educations, than when you were reading aboutAndrew Jackson and the Bank of the United States. But should the past be considered history if its major players are still alive? And if so, how best should disco, rap, Ronald Reagan, crack cocaine, cell phones, abortion, the Internet, Hillary Clinton, double-tall iced lattes, Harry Potter, the first Gulf War, AIDS, autism, and the toppling of the Twin Towers be dealt with in a history book designed for a survey course? This stuff is relevant But how does it involve you, your friends, or the guy who sits near you in class listening to his iPod?
