louisereadsandreads 's review for:

Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James W. Loewen

4.0

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I picked up this book thinking it would just be a "regular" history book, focused on some areas of history that my public school education neglected, but instead I got a book that was not only full of interesting information, but included an interesting discussion on how history is taught in the US and its effect on our country. Some of the chapters weren't that surprising (Columbus massacred the Native Americans, the Pilgrams weren't tolerant of anyone but other strict Protestants, etc), but I found the chapters on the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the Civil Rights movement enlightening. The author clearly has an axe to grind with the history book publishing industry and even though he makes the book sound scientific (by using a "sample" of history books) you get the feeling that he is really biased and looking to get is point across in any way possible.
In the end, I like the book and it succeeds in opening my eyes to different historical eras, but the book might be better served by dumping the last two or three chapters.