Western Expansion (Textbook vs. Review Book Critique)

After reading the material relating to the western expansion of the United States from the textbook and the review book, I have come to the conclusion that the review book is an excellent supplement to, if not a brilliant replacement for, the textbook. The textbook gave appropriate information, however I find it to be unfavorable. The review book impeccably summarizes the textbook material without neglecting the quality of information, and is therefore more auspicious.

First of all, the textbook chapter was too lengthy. It gives a lot of information that is not necessary in order for the reader to comprehend the historical events that it is trying to impart. Honestly, thirty plus pages is too extensive and it took way too long to read. I find that it is much more difficult for me to learn from something so massive than from something that is condense and too the point. As I was reading the textbook, I often found myself daydreaming and reading passages without actually absorbing the information I was reading.

Secondly, the review book expresses the topic much better than the textbook. It states the facts, gives important side information, and is easy to understand. It only gives what is necessary for the reader to pass the Advanced Placement Examination, and not too much more. The textbook, on the other hand, does indeed give a lot of facts, however many of them are not significant enough to commit to memory. It tends to ramble about insignificant details that I frankly think take away from the main ideas. When I read for history, I do not want to be bombarded with trivial details; I just want a simple explanation of the main facts

Content-wise I find that both books pay sufficient attention to each topic, especially the effect of western expansion on the Native American Indians and the environment (i.e. the Indians’ forced movement to reservations, Indian wars, Indian population decrease, broken treaties, buffalo depletion, pollution, etc.). Nonetheless, both books appear to be sympathetic towards the Native Americans, with which I completely agree. They also effectively describe the positive affects of expansion on the United States, such as the booming mining industry, although not as extensively as the negative effects on the Native Americans. However, in order for either book to be a reliable and non-biased resource of information, it must show both the positive and negative effects, which they do.

In conclusion, based on my reading about western expansion from both sources, the review book offers outstanding coverage of the historical content presented in the textbook. The textbook is lengthy, boring, and gives too many details. The review book, conversely, is condensed, easy to read, direct. Both books, however, present the essential positive and negative effects of western expansion that make them dependable and non-biased sources of information. In my opinion, the review book is obviously the most favorable informational source.