This article examines the history textbooks available in 1998 for adoption in the United States at both the high school and elementary levels. New books have appeared on the scene since the last textbook adoption series. California begins its textbook considerations in August. The California adoption will rekindle national interest in the content of history textbooks and indicate in what ways the textbooks and social studies content have changed after a decade of exposure to multiculturalism. The document examines the predominant role of the large textbook consumers, California and Texas, as well as the emerging themes and "watered-down" text in many of the books. The shrinking numbers of publishers and the increasing costs of production for books and ancillary materials raises some basic questions of quality, content, and purpose of textbooks. The article lists the major textbooks considered for adoption and analyzes some of the shortcomings of the texts. (EH)