The Smart Aleck's Guide to American History by Adam Selzer

Were you aware that George Washington was well known for crying like a little girl in public? Or that Ben Franklin used to take so-called “air baths” as an excuse to wander around the house naked? I don’t know about you, but I don’t remember learning these little factoids about our nation’s founding fathers in my history class! The Smart Aleck’s Guide to American History, written by Adam Selzer and staff, presents our country’s history from the earliest American settlers to the election of President Obama in a sassy and sarcastic, yet informative way. This history guide leaves the typical spewing names of battles and dates in the dust.

Reading the Smart Aleck’s Guide felt as if I was talking to a friend—the one loudmouth that says any and everything…kind of obnoxious, but being funny enough that you can overlook that. The basis of the book is factual history, written with a witty twist including oddball footnotes (i.e. “The sailors on the Mayflower called the Pilgrims “glib-glabbety puke stockings”. Yes, the word “puke”, along with most of the swearwords people use today, had been in common use for centuries then.”) and big pictures with snarky captions (under a picture of Civil War soldier donning similar white beards: “Either a 1917 reunion of Civil War soldiers in Washington, D.C., or a Colonel Sanders look-alike contest”.).

Also in the book, small recurring blurbs can be found throughout such as “Stupid Hats of History” (complete with photos, of course) and “Great Myths of History”, debunking many commonly-taught historical falsehoods. At the end of each chapter, there are vocab words, a section titled “Some of the Stuff We Missed” and amusing essay questions such as “What are some good ways to defend yourself against Civil War reenactors who disagree with your interpretation of the war?” or “Who was a bigger jerk, Hitler or Stalin?”.

Teachers beware if assigning this book, as its stated purpose to the reader is to “throw your teachers off-balance for entire class periods” and “identify their lies and half-truths!”. What else could you expect though from a self-proclaimed smart aleck? It’s all part of the theme. In all honestly, I found this book extremely entertaining, offering historical knowledge in a way I’ve never experienced before…sarcastic, witty, sometimes rude, but chockfull of genuine information. For any kid (or adult) who doesn’t respond to the typical teaching format of history or for any reluctant readers, this book could be a fantastic opportunity for them to be engaged while learning a ton of our country’s history (and getting major laughs out of it too).