"This book fills a long-felt need for a single work that can be used as a touchstone and launching pad for students of American studies at all levels. Deloria and Olson do a superb job of conveying the pleasure and the stakes of working in this field as well as the craft skills required to do it well."--Carlo Rotella, Boston College "A very smart and playful hybrid of a book that captures the challenges and rewards of work in American Studies."--Ann Fabian, Rutgers University "This book crackles with insight, wit, conceptual range, and analytical precision. The historical and methodological knowledge packed into this volume will benefit a vast array of students, scholars, and instructors. Students will learn what American studies is and how to model and perform its methods in their own research."--Ramzi Fawaz, University of Wisconsin-Madison