This article discusses the modern day trends in historiography of American scholars concerning Central Asian studies. One of these trends is the specific publications on regional issues. These include not only the latest research, but also some valuable studies from the 2000s. This article then focuses on one such study. A book written by Victoria Clement aims to show the inner dynamism of social phenomenon (in this case, literacy) on Turkmen society. Clement’s research is viewed within the context of three tendencies in American historians’ examination of historiography at the turn of the 21st century: The critique of the European theoretical legacy, the Jadid-centered historiography, and the post-colonial approach. Clement attempted to analyze the primary sources and to include the Soviet research on literacy in her long-term analysis. She sought to prove her ideas about the change in meaning of key concepts (such as modernity, the modern state, power, and literacy). This book includes significant amounts of material from field studies in Turkmenistan between 1997-2016. The book’s 2018 supplement, made Clement’s contribution valuable not solely for its history, but also for its analysis of the region as well. However, this review seeks to supplement her initial chapters by providing details to consider this book within the relevant discussions on a broader array of topics.