“Unfortunately, most Americans still don’t know the meaning of that 18-letter word.” — author Jay Payleitner
ENDORSEMENTS*
“I heartily recommend this informative and whimsical celebration of America’s 250th birthday! Can’t wait to get my copy signed by the author—with a big, bold autograph!”
—John Hancock, former President of the Continental Congress and first signer of the Declaration of Independence
“Along with America’s heroes, traditions, destinations, and festivals, I was especially pleased to see a salute to ‘American Ingenuity.’ Naturally, I expected a nod to my assembly line, but many of the other inventions—Play-Doh, Slinkys, Post-It Notes, and so on—were a complete surprise.”
—Henry Ford, American industrialist and founder of the Ford Motor Company
“I am thrilled that my accidental confectionary creation is being recognized as one of 250 things worth celebrating about America in this Semiquincentennial year. Thanks to the author, publisher, and Nestlé!”
—Ruth Graves Wakefield, inventor of the chocolate chip cookie and proprietor of the Toll House Inn in Whitman, Massachusetts
“Overall, Happy Semiquincentennial, America! is a masterpiece. However, after seeing tributes to my musical peers such as Scott Joplin, John Philip Sousa, and George Gershwin, I rather expected to see my own name, as well. Mr. Payleitner, I await your explanation.”
—Cole Porter, composer of “Anything Goes,” “You Do Something to Me,” “I Get a Kick Out of You,” and other unforgettable standards
“I loved all 250 entries—especially the road trip idea at #11, the tribute to my favor- ite movie at #100, and the moving words from my friend Lou Gehrig in the section ‘American Oratories.’”
—Abner Doubleday, Union Army Major General and fabled inventor of baseball
“I cannot endorse this book. The author calls Mount Rushmore ‘a must for your bucket list,’ then has the gall to suggest any feeling of awe might be fleeting. He even questions the value of driving hours through the prairie just to ‘stare at some giant carved rocks.’ Zero stars.”
—Gutzon Borglum, sculptor of Mount Rushmore
“So glad this celebration of America’s 250th birthday includes an excerpt from my favor- ite and most quoted speech. Writing this book proves Mr. Payleitner is indeed a ‘man who is actually in the arena.’ A patriotic page-turner and a top-tier gift!”
—Theodore Roosevelt, twenty-sixth President of the Unites States
“I’m glad to see our new country endured 250 years and has been documented with such glee. I especially appreciate the decade-by-decade breakdown of US history, cultural turning points, and the sublime evolution of American music in the section ‘America’s Soundtrack.’”
—Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States, author of the Declaration of Independence, and lifelong violinist
*imagined
this post is from the opening pages of Happy Semiquincentennial, America!
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