Country book · North America

United States

Fifty states, one restless idea

The United States is a continent-sized experiment in reinvention — deserts, glaciers, swamps and skyscrapers inside one border. It is loud, contradictory and endlessly self-made, and it exports its culture faster than almost anywhere else on earth.

Myths

What's true, what isn't

Actually true

Portions really are huge
Restaurant plates and drink sizes are noticeably larger than almost anywhere else, and doggy bags are completely normal.
Distances are genuinely vast
Driving from New York to Los Angeles is longer than crossing most of Western Europe; regional accents and food change dramatically along the way.
Tipping is mandatory in practice
Servers rely on tips as core income, and 18-20% is the unwritten floor at sit-down restaurants.
National parks are extraordinary
From Yellowstone's geysers to Zion's canyons, the park system protects some of the most dramatic landscapes on the planet.

Commonly believed, wrong

"Everyone owns a gun and carries it everywhere"
Gun ownership varies enormously by state and household; many Americans have never owned or fired one.
"All Americans are loud and rich"
Regional cultures range from reserved New England towns to modest rural communities; wealth is highly uneven.
"Healthcare means bankruptcy for everyone"
Most working Americans have employer-based insurance, though costs and coverage gaps remain real problems.
"It's basically one big culture"
Louisiana Creole life, Texas ranch culture, Pacific Northwest outdoors culture and New England tradition barely resemble each other.

Highlights

The best of United States

The National Parks system

Yellowstone, Yosemite, Zion and the Grand Canyon protect some of the most dramatic terrain on Earth.

Road trips on the open highway

Route 66, the Pacific Coast Highway and endless interstate stretch across landscapes that change every few hours.

Live music everywhere

Nashville honky-tonks, New Orleans jazz clubs and Austin dive bars keep American music alive nightly.

City diversity

New York, Chicago and San Francisco compress the entire world's food and culture into a few square miles.

Culture

Cultural riches

The melting pot mosaic

Waves of immigration built distinct neighborhoods — Chinatowns, Little Italys, Cuban Miami — each with its own rhythm.

Sports as religion

Friday night football, March Madness and the Super Bowl shape the national calendar like holidays.

Music that shaped the world

Blues, jazz, rock and hip-hop all originated here and spread globally within a generation.

The road trip mythology

The car, the diner and the open highway are baked into American identity as much as any monument.

Food

What to eat

Barbecue

Texas brisket, Carolina pulled pork and Kansas City ribs are regional religions with fierce rivalries.

Diner classics

Pancakes, burgers and milkshakes served in chrome-trimmed diners since the mid-20th century.

Regional pizza

New York's foldable slice, Chicago's deep dish and Detroit's crispy square each claim to be the real thing.

Tex-Mex and Southwestern

Tacos, chili and cornbread fuse Mexican and American traditions across the Southwest.

Thanksgiving dinner

Roast turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie bring the whole country to one table every November.

Music

World-famous voices

Beyoncé

Pop and R&B's defining live performer.

Taylor Swift

The most-streamed songwriter of her generation.

Michael Jackson

The King of Pop.

Bob Dylan

Nobel-winning songwriter.

Kendrick Lamar

Pulitzer-winning rapper from Compton.

History

Important people in history

George Washington

1732 — 1799

Led the revolutionary army and became the first president, setting the precedent of peacefully leaving power.

Abraham Lincoln

1809 — 1865

Preserved the Union through the Civil War and signed the Emancipation Proclamation ending slavery.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

1882 — 1945

Guided the country through the Great Depression and most of World War II with the New Deal reforms.

Cities