I loved this unique American travel book! You don't often get to read about our other territories, and I find that this book really handled them well. I loved learning more about the history and culture. Definitely recommend

I had every intention of reading this book and writing an honest review but it expired before I had the chance. My apologies, If you like to resend it to me I would be happy to get it reviewed,

This book answered questions I didn't realize I had! I knew that Puerto Rico is a territory and vaguely knew that the USA had others, but I didn't know much more than that. This book is part travel memoir, part history, and part exploration about the current relationships between the territories and the US. It is an enjoyable read and I learned a lot from it.

The Not-Quite States of America is part travelogue, part glorious adventure through history. Doug Mack manages to deftly maneuver through the uncomfortable parts of United States annexation procedures while still throwing in fascinating passages about tourist spots where pigs are fed beer. I will admit, this is definitely a book I needed to read. Who knew I'd mentally been calculating Guam in the wrong part of the world for years. Whether you're a stay at home couch lover or a world traveler looking for the history hidden behind the tourist traps, Doug Mack's book is a fantastic read.

This combination travelogue and history presents a fascinating look at territories owned by the United States. Mack took trips to the U.S. Virgin Island, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Marianas, and Puerto Rico where he commented on the culture and infused it with a bit of the history of the islands. Readers get a sense of what each of these islands are today, but the book is not quite what I expected. Many of these territories are over-commercialized; some are not. I appreciated the historical parts more than the travelogue portions, and I sincerely wish more attention to what the culture was like at the time the territories were acquired so readers could compare it to what the United States was like at that time and then draw present-day comparisons based on a number of factors. Mack points out few Americans really know much if anything about the territories. His book was designed to bridge that gap for himself and somewhat for his readers. While I'm glad I read the book, I am interested in reading other books about these territories which may be more aligned with my own interests. For example, Mack focuses on the economy and on political factors, but rarely addresses religion which is a strong interest of mine. Fortunately Mack includes a brief bibliography of other materials at the end of the book for those who want to delve a bit deeper. An advance review e-galley of this book was received by the publisher through NetGalley for review purposes.

Doug Mack considered himself very knowledgeable about all things U.S.A. It wasn't until his wife started collecting state quarters that he realized he was vastly ignorant of the territories. He decides to travel to each of them, interacting with the people, participating in some of their cultural festivities, and research their history before and after they became colonies--for even the author agrees that is what we are--of the United States.

I have to say that this book was particularly enlightening to me as a Puerto Rican and as a teacher. I have always been vocal about the abuse and neglect Puerto Ricans have endured during our time as a U.S. colony, but had selfishly not researched enough to see that all the territories have faced the same struggle my island nation has. This is an embarrassing omission to make, particularly when I teach about colonialist mentalities when I discuss Steinbeck's The Pearl.

I want to thank Doug Mack for opening himself up to this journey and for portraying the struggles--the good, the bad, and the ugly--that we, the second-class citizens of the United States face. I also want to encourage reader both within the fifty states and outside to read this book and instruct yourselves. Particularly with the current political climate where many of us feel our alliance--and citizenship--is tenuous at best.

A few years ago I challenged myself to read a book for each of the U.S. territories. This book is a great follow-up to that reading tour. Mack focuses on the five inhabited territories: the US Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico. The book is part travelogue and part social and political history of the territories. Mack also looks at the legal status of the territories and their inhabitants. They don't have the full rights the Constitution guarantees to American citizens, but independence would bring a different set of problems. In most of the territories, Mack talked with individuals on both sides of the independence question.

This book deserves to be widely read if for no other reason than to raise awareness of the territories among US citizens. It will also appeal to most armchair travelers. Recommended.

This review is based on an electronic advance reader's copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

I love history and often times history books can be hard to read, or finish because they can be very dry or too scholarly. But I love finding a book like this that makes history interesting and accessible to the masses. It makes it fun to learn about things that otherwise we wouldn't pay much attention to or know from our own experiences. This is a good book to read if your interested in American history and places that aren't commonly thought of as "American" but are.

Minneapolis travel writer Mack has always fascinated me but I've never ready anything by him. I have traveled to Puerto Rico and have witnessed the strange world that isn't quite American or foreign. Mack has an accessible writing style and explores our colonial legacy even as most Americans would deny we have been colonizers in the traditional sense of the term. Interesting stories and insights about parts of the world that are American but don't have full representation.

Thank You to W.W. Norton & Company for providing me with an advanced copy of Doug Mack's The Not-Quite States of America: Dispatches from the Territories and Other Far-Flung Outposts of the USA, in exchange for an honest review.

PLOT- Doug Mack's The Not-Quite States of America: Dispatches from the Territories and Other Far-Flung Outposts of the USA, is part travelogue and part history lesson. Mack travels to Puerto Rico, The U.S. Virgin Islands, America Samoa, The Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam, to meet the people who inhabit these lands that are "not-quite part of America," and to better understand their history and culture.

LIKE- I consider myself fairly knowledgeable when it comes to US History, but Mack has opened my eyes. I had no idea that the United States still has so many territories or that it is so darn muddled regarding the rights of the people living in these areas. I felt a little relieved, when early in his book, Mack, a travel writer, admitted to also being unaware of the full extent of these territories. This made me feel less clueless and in good company. I enjoyed tagging along with Mack, as he visits these islands.. Mack's sense of humor and his interactions with the locals, blends well with the history and politics of each island.

Admittedly, some of the politics and legal talk of territories can get a little dry and very confusing, however, Mack puts it out in layman terms, so if I read it carefully, I felt like I was gaining an understanding. My overall impression of the situation is that it is complicated and there is no one solution. I was surprised by the high number of people from the territories serving in the US armed forces, yet depending on where they live, they may not have very many rights. I was shocked by how the rights can vary dramatically from each territory, depending on status ( incorporated/ unincorporated, commonwealth, organized/ unorganized). Seeing how messy this all is, coupled with a general lack of interest or knowledge that most US Citizens have towards the territories, I doubt we will be adding any new states in the near future. It's even presumptuous to think that people in the territories necessarily want statehood. Mack is perceptive with his noting how the idea of colonization is very distasteful and not politically correct, yet colonies are essentially what America still has, even if we call them territories and try to play "out of sight, out of mind."

Some of the history, for example the connection between World War 2 and Guam, was familiar. Currently, with North Korea ramping up its nuclear capabilities, and other nations in the Pacific, feeling on edge, these small islands are becoming more valuable for their strategic positioning in future wars. Each country wants to grab what they can in the Pacific for their own security. Mack speaks of this towards the end of his book and it gave me the chills. Speaking of Chills, I was gutted when I read about the thousands of Japanese citizens, including families with small children, committing suicide off of a cliff in Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands) after learning that they had lost WW2. I'm sure that story will forever stick with me.

DISLIKE- Nothing. The Not-Quite States of America has left me a better informed citizen, it has given me a new perspective.

RECOMMEND- If you're an American citizen, you should definitely add The Not-Quite States of America, to your reading list. Mack is an entertaining writer and his book is important.

This book really makes you think, and appreciate these states we live in.

I will definitely purchase this title for our undergraduate collection. Great blend of history and contemporary personal experience. Author has good narrative style.

I’m not too proud to say that I’ve never quite understood territories. Puerto Rico, for instance, it’s the US, but only kinda? Why aren’t these places states? Doug Mack also wondered about that and took some research trips/paid vacations? To these territories as an average American to figure it out for us. By the way, I’m available to travel to any sunny island if any publishers would like to foot the bill for me to “research” some book.
This time I’ve got my review timed correctly, and it’s not long at all til you can scoop this one up. This book takes you from the mainland US to BMVI to American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands. I had to check maps several times while reading to tell exactly where he was. More of a history book by a hair than a travelogue, I finally understand how we got to “own” these far-flung countries and why. The tone is similar to Bill Bryson which explains why I like it so much. I’m adding this one to the TBR pile that I’ve got going for my high school student.