This was a n interesting read, if possibly a little drawn out in parts. It explores what made America what it is today and the influence that many factors had on its growth, factors such as politics, transport, communication, education, farming, medicine, ranching and so of course settlements and the native people who were encountered and often displaced along the way, . It is full of facts and interesting information, somewhat heavy at times. The fact that it was written in essay form made it somewhat easier and more interesting to follow as each author had their own spin on the matters at hand and also their own style of writing. This was a very interesting read, well researched and well thought out but I found it a little heavy at times

"That's the Way it was Moving West" --this is what my father would say to us kids when something didn't work out for us or a decision was made, or we would be given a punishment he would say this! I would look at him and just shake my head,I don't understand what has that have to do with what's going on now with me. Asked,this was my answer,What do you think the people went through when they decided to move West and experience all the headaches, hard work the unfairness ,if that is even a word,lol,on their lives. This saying reminded me of this reading all of this book. Rich with so much information of the land the people who went who stayed and lived through all of the new experiences they encountered! Got kinda boring for me here and there. Not really my mind of book but in fairness it is well written . Received through Net Galley, it is a good read it you are in to information like this.

"The Light Shines from the West" is a collection of 12 essays written by 6 different people about the development of the American West, from the Louisiana Purchase to present day. The intent was to include information on the people who lived in the West before American Easterners arrived and to look at factors that made living in the West a unique experience. The essays were still basically from the European/Eastern American viewpoint of events and about their migration into the West. Each chapter was on a new topic (though there was some repetition by other authors), and we're only provided with an overview or survey of the topic.

The essays talked about how the land of the West was acquired, what it was physically like, the various deals that have been made with the American Indians up until present day, who settled Canada and Mexico and their expansion and consolidation, a brief history of the development of transportation and communications which allowed more rapid settlement and less isolation in the West, reasons people went West (agriculture, mining, logging, Homestead Act, etc.) and it's economic development, a multi-ethnic look at women's role in the West, what rural life was like, political issues, and more.