Table of Contents
   List of Maps and Illustrationsp. xi
   Author's Notep. xiii
   When America's Story was Dominated By Wood, 1785-1805p. 1
      Drawing the Colors of Rocksp. 80
   Preface: The Pure Physics of Unionp. xv
      Passing the Gatewayp. 55
      A View across the Ridgep. 3
      The Wood Was Become Grassp. 32
      High Plains Raftersp. 52
      Shoreline Passagep. 65
      Drawing a Line in the Sandp. 6
      The Science That Changed Americap. 77
      Peering through the Treesp. 17
   When America's Story Went Beneath the Earth, 1809-1901p. 73
      The Frontier and the Thesisp. 24
      Encounters with the Siouxp. 41
      The Lasting Benefit of Harmonyp. 75
      First Lady of the Plainsp. 49
      The Wellspring of Knowledgep. 83
      The Tapestry of Underneathp. 88
      Off to See the Elephantp. 96
      The West, Revealedp. 104
      The Singular First Adventure of Kapuratsp. 113
      The Men Who Gave Us Yellowstonep. 129
      Diamonds, Sex, and Racep. 139
   When the American Story Traveled by Water, 1803-1900p. 163
      Journeys to the Fall Linep. 165
      The Streams beyond the Hillsp. 171
      The Pivot and the Featherp. 180
      The Wedded Waters of New Yorkp. 196
      The Linkman Comethp. 214
      That OF Man Riverp. 222
   When the American Story was Fanned by Fire, 1811-1956p. 239
      May the Roads Rise Upp. 241
      Rain, Steam, and Speedp. 248
      The Annihilation of the In-Betweenp. 252
      The Immortal Legacy of Crazy Judahp. 259
      Colonel Eisenhower's Epiphanic Expeditionp. 280
      The Colossus of Roadsp. 294
      And Then We Looked Upp. 312
      The Twelve-Week Crossingp. 316
   When the American Story was Told Through Metal, 1835-Tomorrowp. 329
      To Go, but Not to Movep. 331
      The Man Who Tamed the Lightningp. 335
      The Signal Power of Human Speechp. 351
      With Power for One and Allp. 357
      Lighting the Corn, Powering the Prairiep. 375
      The Talk of the Nationp. 385
      Making Money from Airp. 396
      Television: The Irresistible Forcep. 406
      The All of Some Knowledgep. 417
   Epiloguep. 429
   Acknowledgmentsp. 435
   Bibliographyp. 441
   Indexp. 451
      The First Big Digp. 188
      Setting the Luresp. 91