I could argue that in order to be compelling, a history book has to tell you something you don't already know -- because what's the point of reading it otherwise?  Maybe it argues a new point of view -- one that you agree with or not, as long as it presents new information.  Or maybe there's nothing controversial about it at all, maybe it's just something you haven't heard before.

Jack Weatherford's Indian Givers is one of those books that is pretty much guaranteed to surprise you, teach you something new, and probably make you feel pretty humble in the process.  The book is about all of the things that Native Americans have contributed to Western culture, from medical knowledge to politics and government to plant variety and cuisine.  I knew some of these things already, but believe me, I had no idea of how deeply Native American culture has permeated our own.  By the time you get done reading, you get the idea that Europeans were a bunch of cave-dwelling Neanderthals when they first landed on American soil, their only saving grace being that they had superior methods of transportation (horses, wagons, etc.) and superior weapons.

Each chapter addresses a different area: For instance, one chapter talks about the many crops that the Indians introduced into European agriculture, while a separate chapter discusses cuisine influences.  Other chapters detail the Indians' superior medical knowledge, drugs (both medicinal and recreational), political structure, and so on.

The book's one downfall is that it's so packed with information, it can sometimes get a little tedious in its delivery.  Therefore I highly recommend that you read one or two chapters at a time, and keep something a little lighter on hand for whenever you need a break.  Even so, it's well worth reading -- in fact, I think it almost ought to be required reading for anyone who has been fed the canned Pilgrims, Squanto, and Thanksgiving version of the natives' contributions!