Topic: U.S. History

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Spurs and Thunder star in NBA’s Western Conference Finals: 10 extra dimensions

The clash of the Spurs and Thunder in the NBA’s Western Conference finals may fly a bit under the national radar when it opens Sunday. Here are 10 factors that make this showdown intriguing.
From Willie Horton to windsurfing: Five top political attack ads

Political attacks ads: love 'em or hate 'em, but they’re here to stay, and this election year stands to be a watershed moment in their use. Here's a look at what are considered to be some of the most memorable and effective attack ads utilized over the years.
Bestselling books the week of 5/17/12, according to IndieBound*

What's selling best in independent bookstores across America.
Harry Truman: 7 quotes on his birthday

May 8, 2012, marks Harry S. Truman's 128th birthday. His folksy sense of humor and political grit are exemplified by a selection of aphorisms in 'Geary's Guide to the World's Great Aphorists' by James Geary.
10 best self-help books of all time

From Benjamin Franklin to Norman Vincent Pearle to Stephen Covey, here are 10 of the best self-help books ever written.

All Content

Walls and Bars
Obama’s rapid rise to eminence

He’ll make his speech in Denver Thursday as the first African-American to win his party’s nod.
Dear Recession, you're not so bad

No one likes you, but you bring economic sanity.
The Wrecking Crew

Thomas Frank takes on the capitol and a legacy of government as business.
Our First Revolution
The Vote
McCain and Obama - a tale of five (well, four) polls
Etc.
The Vote
Helen Thomas featured on HBO special
USA
Winning the pup-ular vote

First dogs affect White House image more than you'd think.
A better benchmark for Iraq: lawyers

Lawsuits signify social progress. We don't kill people; we sue them.
Historic first terror trial opens at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba

Hamdan case tests special courts for 'illegal enemy combatants.'
Etc.
A president's test: not agenda but response

The most important things presidents do are often not preset items but reactive moves to events unforeseen.
The Cousins' War
They cooked up recipes for charity

As women's groups published cookbooks to raise funds for causes and those in need, they also empowered themselves.
Freedom is self-correcting

It is our right to freedom that has enabled the US to achieve so much.
Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream
At the close of the Civil War, a unique moment in US culture

The hummingbird became the symbol of an era for 19th-century America.
McCain's middle way on nuclear weapons

He criticized both parties and wants new pacts with Russia and China.
The contradictory army of General Lee

A force full of fight yet ill-suited to war.
Nixon: a life divided

Richard Nixon never lost the mind-set that pitted 'us' against 'them.'
What's next for the Ron Paul revolution?

The effort to renew the Founding Fathers' vision is good for America.
Civil War buffs couldn't see history for the trees

National parks clear trees from original battlefield 'sight lines,' delighting (and appalling) students of history.
Etc.