History Interests

I guess not surprisingly, as a history concentrator, I have a variety of interests in history. While I've certainly taken my fair share of history courses, certain subjects strike me more than others.

I've been interested in Post-Renaissance and Reformation Europe for quite some time now. Ironically, however, I haven't taken a course on the subject at Brown. I'm always on the lookout for a new book to read on the subject.

I used to think that American History, for the most part, was a rather dull area of study. I've recently come to drastically change my mind about that as some of the best books I've read recently have been in the context of American History. Just about anything by Gordon Wood is guaranteed to be excellent. I'm convinced that my interest in American History arises purely out of interest in the individuals that formed the nation. For what I consider the best example of this, read Titan, by Ron Chernow, the biography of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. The exception to this rule, in my opinion, is America's race relations and struggles. There are some really fantastic books on the subject, and for a good start, try Glenn Loury's The Anatomy of Racial Inequality.