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1.03k reviews for:
Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong
James W. Loewen
4.04 AVERAGE
1.03k reviews for:
Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong
James W. Loewen
4.04 AVERAGE
challenging
informative
slow-paced
What is history?
This book goes into the details on what gets taught in American schools, as well as what is left out of history books, and Why editors don't tell the whole story. In short this book will blow your mind! For when you know the whole story, the present makes since. The author does a great job of telling the facts without any bias. Loewen is a History professor, and he wrote this book because he was disappointed about how little his freshmen students actually knew about history. For the love of history he wrote the book, because history is fascinating- not boring like his freshmen students believe.
By reading this book you will met the true Woodrow Wilson, Helen Keller, Christopher Columbus, the First Thanksgiving, Betty Ross, Native Americans and Cowboys, Wars- so many wars, slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction, JOHN BROWN, social class, America's relationships with the Middle East and Central America. And so much more.
This book should be required reading for all Americans. This book makes me want to become a history teacher. As Loewen said in his introduction, " The truth can set us free. That is, when we understand what really happened in the past, then we now what to do to cause our nation to remedy its problems in the present."
This book goes into the details on what gets taught in American schools, as well as what is left out of history books, and Why editors don't tell the whole story. In short this book will blow your mind! For when you know the whole story, the present makes since. The author does a great job of telling the facts without any bias. Loewen is a History professor, and he wrote this book because he was disappointed about how little his freshmen students actually knew about history. For the love of history he wrote the book, because history is fascinating- not boring like his freshmen students believe.
By reading this book you will met the true Woodrow Wilson, Helen Keller, Christopher Columbus, the First Thanksgiving, Betty Ross, Native Americans and Cowboys, Wars- so many wars, slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction, JOHN BROWN, social class, America's relationships with the Middle East and Central America. And so much more.
This book should be required reading for all Americans. This book makes me want to become a history teacher. As Loewen said in his introduction, " The truth can set us free. That is, when we understand what really happened in the past, then we now what to do to cause our nation to remedy its problems in the present."
There was some good stuff in here, but it turns out I knew quite a bit of it. The first several chapters were the most intriguing, especially where John Brown, Lincoln, and the lies of Reconstruction are detailed.
The last... 60 or so pages really dragged though. A lot about textbook companies and the textbook adoption process and just... yeah. I can't imagine most students would be terribly interested here, and I found myself skimming.
The last... 60 or so pages really dragged though. A lot about textbook companies and the textbook adoption process and just... yeah. I can't imagine most students would be terribly interested here, and I found myself skimming.
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
Very informative and eye opening. Makes me scared for our countries future.
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
informative
Fascinating. Sobering. Angering. Those are just a few of the adjectives I think of when I consider this important title.
Loewen, who just passed away 8/19/2021, was an American sociologist, historian, and author. And he was a true historian, interested in the actual history, not the white-washed version. He wasn't one to shy away from the facts of events and the people who participated in forming this nation.
In this book, he carefully dismantles the history we were all taught in school about many of the important events that shaped America. He shares the real story behind the sensationalized and white-washed versions we learned from textbooks during our school years. It's appalling. (Look there's another adjective.) He outlines the textbook process to help the reader understand all of the forces at play in getting a textbook into the hands of school districts that help keep us uninformed. He tells the full stories of historical figures like Columbus, Helen Keller, the pilgrims, etc in order to provide the actual history so that we see the whole picture, not just a corner of it. Learning, knowing, and understanding as best as possible the full story of the events and people that America is built on is important for what is happening TODAY. History doesn't stay in the past, it influences the present and future whether we acknowledge it or not.
This is worth the read and the discomfort it may cause as the whole of history is discussed, not just the comfortable and white-washed parts.
Loewen, who just passed away 8/19/2021, was an American sociologist, historian, and author. And he was a true historian, interested in the actual history, not the white-washed version. He wasn't one to shy away from the facts of events and the people who participated in forming this nation.
In this book, he carefully dismantles the history we were all taught in school about many of the important events that shaped America. He shares the real story behind the sensationalized and white-washed versions we learned from textbooks during our school years. It's appalling. (Look there's another adjective.) He outlines the textbook process to help the reader understand all of the forces at play in getting a textbook into the hands of school districts that help keep us uninformed. He tells the full stories of historical figures like Columbus, Helen Keller, the pilgrims, etc in order to provide the actual history so that we see the whole picture, not just a corner of it. Learning, knowing, and understanding as best as possible the full story of the events and people that America is built on is important for what is happening TODAY. History doesn't stay in the past, it influences the present and future whether we acknowledge it or not.
This is worth the read and the discomfort it may cause as the whole of history is discussed, not just the comfortable and white-washed parts.
Really interesting read especially relevant now as nationalism is on the rise. The book not only focuses on lies and what's left out of textbooks but also why. The last few chapters were a little long winded and a struggle to get through but definitely worth the read.
informative
medium-paced
This is a fantastic look at the misinformation spread in your average history or social studies class. I knew American history was racist, but sometimes its impressive just HOW racist it was. I recommend this book for EVERYONE!