Improved chapter structure and a more concise narrative makes for easier classroom use. The authors reconfigured the chapters into several main sections with sub-sections, aiding student navigation. New chapter-opening outlines serve as roadmaps that show coverage at a glance. All section headings have been reconsidered and revised for clarity, all chapter and section introductions have been strengthened to sharpen student focus, and each chapter now ends with a "conclusion" that reinforces the main points and eases the transition to the next chapter. The new chapter format allowed the authors to shorten the chapter narratives on average 25 percent with succinct explanations and streamlined coverage.
A new final chapter brings Who Built America? up to the present day. Volume Two ends with an entirely new Chapter 15 — "America’s World after 9/11" — that examines the social history and impact of September 11th, the realities exposed and questions raised by Hurricane Katrina, the effects of globalization on America’s working people, and the continuing war
in Iraq.
More documents give workers a louder voice. By popular demand, the new edition features 30 percent more documents, giving more weight to the people behind the history. Each chapter now includes seven to eleven primary sources, up from five in the previous edition.
New Electronic Resources. The third edition features an all-new book companion Web site that serves as a hub to a variety of online student and instructor resources provided by the American Social History Project and Bedford/St. Martin’s. The heart of the site is a collaborative functionality that allows instructors to communicate with each other and share ideas and course materials. In addition, a new test bank on CD-ROM provides chapter-based multiple-choice, short-answer, and essay questions.