title: The Smithsonian's History of America in 101 Objects
author:  Richard Kurin 
description: <u><b><i>Publishers Weekly</i>&#160;(starred):</b></u><br>&#8220;Kurin [has] done a masterful job. Even&#8230; well-known items have surprising and significant back stories. Unexpected selections&#8230; make the book even more engrossing, and&#8230; can make for some emotional reading. Kurin does a terrific job of expanding upon the story of each object, whether it&#8217;s a pair of slave shackles or a damaged door from one of the New York City fire trucks that responded to 9/11. This humanistic approach to storytelling makes for immersive, addictive reading.&#8221;<br><br><u><b><i>Kirkus Reviews</i>:</b></u><br>&#8220;Smithsonian Undersecretary Kurin&#8217;s tales are abundant, so much so that it seems almost a shame to stop at a mere 101 items....A well-conceived and well-illustrated pleasure to read, combining narrative history and keepsake volume.&#8221;<br><br><u><b><i>Library Journal</i>:</b></u><br>&#8220;A guide like this is all the more useful since such a small percentage of the Smithsonian's holdings can ever be on exhibit. The book is much more descriptive than analytical, as Kurin sets each object, beautifully photographed, in its historical and institutional context.&#8221;
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  Established in 1846, the Smithsonian Institution—the world’s largest museum
  and research complex—includes 19 museums and galleries and the National
  Zoological Park. The total number of artifacts, works of art, and specimens in
  the Smithsonian’s collection is estimated at 137 million, the bulk of which is
  contained in the National Museum of Natural History, which holds more than 126
  million specimens and objects. The Smithsonian is a renowned research center,
  dedicated to public education, national service, and scholarship in the arts,
  sciences, and history.SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
  
  
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  Emily Dodd
  
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  Contents
  
  Body basics8–9 What’s my body made of?10–11 What is the lar