History, technology, business – Dianne L. Durante, Writing Addict + Adept

There are separate pages on this site for art, my writings on Alexander Hamilton; Writing, copywriting, and publishing; and Fearless Foreign Foods. For book recommendations for kids, see this page; for music and toys for kids, see this page.

History, including nation studies

On Alexander Hamilton, see this page.

Timeline 1900-2021: Events Worldwide, US Politics & Culture, Economics, Science & Technology, Books, Visual Arts, Architecture, Film & TV, Music. More here.

Central Park: The Early Years (print and Kindle): focuses on the first few decades of the Park, particularly why Central Park was created and what events and choices in its early history created the Park’s unique character. I’ve relied heavily on primary sources such as the annual reports of the Board of Commissioners of Central Park and early guidebooks, and have collected hundreds of images of the Park in its early days. The book is printed in full color throughout.

The Statue of Liberty: Timeless Art, Political Hot Topic (Kindle) – A look at the Statue of Liberty as a timeless work of art and as a political statement by those who conceived it and by their contemporaries in the late 19th century. Includes archival illustrations, close-up views of Liberty, quotes from sculptor Bartholdi and his contemporaries, and tips on photographing outdoor sculptures in New York.
Internationalism (Key Concepts in American History series) (hardcover) – A work-for-hire high-school history text on American foreign policy from World War II to ca. 2000.

Yemen, In Brief (Kindle) – History & culture of Yemen; a survey written in 2000, after the attack on the USS Cole in Aden harbor, and published on Kindle with a brief update covering the past 15 years, plus 17 photos and maps.
Similar studies on Afghanistan, Iran, Bosnia, Serbia, Yugoslavia, Haiti, and Somalia are waiting patiently for me to reformat them. Email me (DuranteDianne@gmail.com) if you want them sooner rather than later.
“On Studying History” – An essay written when I was homeschooling my daughter, with 2 important points to remember as you wade through the ages.
The Presidential Biographies project has its own page, here.

Dr. J. Marion Sims, with Notes on New York’s Sculpture of Sims (Kindle): A look at the controversial career of Dr. J. Marion Sims, “the Father of Gynecology,” and the sculpture of him at Fifth Avenue and 103rd Street, New York City
Forgotten Delights: The Producers (paperback) – First in a what was intended to be a series of self-published books on outdoor sculptures in Manhattan; includes essays on explorers, inventors, engineers, businessmen, and workers, some of which I still haven’t published anywhere else. This project was superseded by Outdoor Monuments of Manhattan: A Historical Guide.

“A Checklist for Healthy Skeptics” (The Freeman) – “We in the United States are becoming terrified of our own technology. Nuclear energy will zap us into early graves. Alar and DDT will give us cancer. The greenhouse effect will melt the polar ice-caps and Manhattan will be submerged. Wouldn’t it be better to live ‘in harmony with nature,’ that is, without all our high-tech devices but in peace and health and security? – Or would it, perhaps, be better to ask first how much truth there is in the media hype that bombards us with such dire predictions every day?”
“Nuclear Power: How It Works and Why It’s Better Than Other Fuels” – Pretty self-explanatory title!
“National Health Care: Prescription for a Fool’s Paradise” (with Salvatore J. Durante)

“About Us” page evaluations for the blog of CorporateHistory.net (2010-2015) – After writing over a hundred of these, I’m one of the world’s authorities on what works and what doesn’t.
“Creating the Monuments of Manhattan app” (interview with Marion Calabro for Freewrite ezine)
Interview on Monuments of Manhattan app (with Joseph Kellard in The Objective Standard)
“The Central Park Dairy and the Swill Milk Scandal” – Why was Vaux asked to design a dairy for Central Park? Yes, Olmsted and Vaux wanted a pastoral vibe, but having livestock on site (except for a flock of sheep) wasn’t in the plan.
See also the page Writing, Copywriting, & Publishing.