A book on the Liberty Bell had me wandering off on a trail about icons.

There are many interesting stories surrounding the Liberty Bell (It did not ring on July 4, 1776, by the way) and you can read about them in The Liberty Bell, by Gary B. Nash. It is old, and cracked, and has not rung in ages, it was nearly forgotten at one point and yet, now it draws huge crowds every year (there were even some road trips for a while). People want to touch it, kiss it, even kneel and say a prayer. How did it become such a powerful draw? A bit dry in places, but mostly a good read.

I had no idea the humble hamburger was so uniquely American. (I also was not aware a specific food item could be considered in icon)! :-) Individually cooked or mass produced it is the product of both the backyard grill and big business. From cheap food, to fast food, to gourmet food, The Hamburger: a History, by Josh Ozersky is the journey it took from the "hamburg steak" to what so many of us enjoy today.

Iconic America, by Tommy Hilfiger, with George Lois, was an amazing and fun book, but a warning here ... it is a heavy book, so perhaps reading it sitting at the table would be a good idea. ;-) There are many, many images here, each with a brief description including what you'd expect: the flag, apple pie, the Hershey Bar, the song White Christmas ... and some unexpected ones: barbed wire, toasted marshmallows, theater posters, the Underwood Typewriter and Boston Baked Beans. I chuckled, I rolled my eyes, I wondered why, I understood.

Reading Hermit With Dog