European commentators didn't have ver nice things to say about America at first. They trash talked the people there and described it as an undesirable place to inhabit. They said the weather was always cold and foggy, but they must of not experienced the whole America. There is great variation in weather throughout the whole region! There will always be those who have something negative to say, though.
    There are indigenous people still in the Americas today. In the United States there are reservations for these kinds of people to live together and function completely on their own with their own rules. On vacation a couple years ago, my family and I found two stray dogs on the side of the highway near the four corners tourist spot. They were small puppies and obviously starving. We took them to the next town where we were denied by the SPCA to hand them over. Since we found them on a reservation they would not accept them. We were told to return the dogs to where we found them and let them be. I had no idea it was that serious.
     I strongly agree with the author in that people of different states or regions of the United States dress different. I traveled through the south and could pick out the trends. Everyone pretty  much speaks English (except immigrants or those who are ESL people) but their slang or accents vary. Certain slang is either loved or hated by different places. "Hella" in southern California is strongly hated, while its overused in northern California.
    I think the Olmec were very smart and culture-rich people. Even their city layout was artistic; their giant mounds and ceremonial platforms were beautiful. Their giant head sculptures take 1st place, though. They influenced Mesoamerica, but it's too bad you can't really pick out any of that culture today. I feel modern art is very retro and futuristic looking. You just don't see real sculptures like the Olmecs huge heads anymore. The ones with animals blended in look great.
    It's pretty cool that people were eating sweet potatoes in Chilca, Peru ten thousand years ago. The shift from hunting and gathering to farming was huge! Now people could just chill in one spot and not have to worry about following food all year long. The variety of techniques people perfected are amazing. Even with just hand made tools they figured something out. I find it very creative sometimes as well. Today farming has grown into its own empire. There is so much money and politics in farming its unbelievable. The power these food supplier companies have is limitless. Farming has come a long way, though, and is only going to improve. Pretty much everything in the Americas will improve, and people will keep becoming more and more rich with different cultures as everyone mixes together.