In the world of Zinn, things never evolve, economies don't recover, victims never overcome adversity, and white men are always to blame

Because [A People's History of the United States, 1492-Present] is the only book on American history that many students will read, Howard Zinn has become one of the most dangerous men in America

writes Bettina Esser;

the book's overarching thesis could best be summarized in this way: "America is not a republic but an empire controlled by white men, but only certain white men, and its heroes are anti-establishment protestors and those in the trenches of class warfare."

This book is a bestseller [only] because it is required reading in most colleges and an increasing number of high schools. … In the world of Zinn, things never evolve, economies don't recover, victims never overcome adversity, and white men are always to blame. Once a person is labeled as "evil," there is no personal redemption. "Robber barons" are not recognized for their own personal achievements or the risks and losses they endured, but only for their manipulation of people and money. In Zinn's economic view, where everybody is out for the most he can get, there is no room for voluntarism, charity, or philanthropy.

…In the world of Zinn, these were the only things that Columbus, Jackson, or Roosevelt ever did, and no other actions in their lives could compensate for their sins. In his chronology, the reader goes from one unpleasant climactic event to the next, and nothing good happens in the interim.