It may also be of some interest to my fellow Americans as we debate our own culture. Every culture has its own outlook on life. This book looks at 234 proverbs that say a lot about the ABCs of American culture. Many of these proverbs are also found in other countries, especially European ones, but in this book they are arranged to emphasize the distinctive features of Americans. Of course a study of common sayings will never produce a complete understanding of any culture.
All cultures contain some contradictions and all cultures are constantly changing.
American culture is particularly hard to describe because America is such a huge and diverse country. Peoria is a small city in the middle of the state of Illinois, which is roughly in the middle of the United States. Peoria s people are proverbially taken to be typical of the average American. I grew up in a small town eight miles from Peoria. Though I often say in this book, We Americans . . ., many Americans will not agree with me.