This book explores the social significance of letter writing. Letter writing is one of the most pervasive literate activities in human societies, crossing forma

Provides a brief history of how reference works developed, but concentrates on how they reflect attitudes of their particular period of publication. Each chapte

Americans have traveled a far piece since Goody Randall climbed over the back of a Bay Colony pew in defense of her social position, or a frontier Congressman t

Americans commonly recognize television, e-mail, and instant messaging as agents of pervasive cultural change. But many of us may not realize that what we now c

The growth of the Atlantic world led to the separation of many families. Sarah Pearsall explores their lives and letters, revealing the sometimes shocking stori