Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong, Revised and Updated Edition by James W. Loewen Summary and Reviews
|
List Price: Our Price: $16.90 You Save: $10.05 (37%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $15.50 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong, Revised and Updated Edition
Book Review: Everything you should have learned in high school.
Summary: 4 Stars
Loewen has done the dirty work for us. He has reasearched the "facts," he has examined the common American history textbooks in use today in high schools, and he has shown the difference between the two. Beyond that, Loewen's book should be taken as opinion, and therefore does not receive the highest rating. The book's excellent treatments of national heroes like Woodrow Wilson and Christopher Columbus, the examination of racism, the discussion of the social systems and the government, and the insights as to what textbooks could do more of are beneficial. Read this book to obtain a clearer understanding of American history and the shortfalls of what high school students learn as American history. Don't just read it as another history book which can be glanced at, memorized, and forgotten, because Loewen's points stick in the mind like a needle in the eye.Book Review: Exciting, easy-reading account of America's REAL history
Summary: 5 Stars
Written in a breezy style that makes history come alive, this book is an eye-opener for anyone who learned American history in public schools. Loewen uses primary sources -- documents written by the people involved in the events -- to show how textbooks whitewash history, turning flawed, conflicted human beings into mythic heroes, and carefully avoiding controversy and conflict. Controversy and conflict, of course, being what really shapes events.Book Review: If you liked this, you will also like...
Summary: 4 Stars
I would like to recommend another book that nicely complements this one, "Made in America" by Bill Bryson. Bryson is mainly a travel writer, and his works use a nice blend of astonishing facts and wry wit to capture his reader's attention. "Made in America" also takes a look at some fallacies of history as taught in American schools, and extrapolates that into a fun discourse on the genesis of American culture. Check out Bryson's works here at Amazon.com. Meanwhile, this book was a captivating read that would be great supplementary reading for history classes across the country.Book Review: If you hated history class--this book will tell you why.
Summary: 5 Stars
Whether you are passively interested in politics or history or an old pro, you will learn something from this book. Even those who hated history class will not be able to put this book down as it exposes why American students are lied to in the classroom and what those lies are.Book Review: Shocking; superb.
Summary: 5 Stars
Engaging and lucid, Loewen's analysis of the foibles of history teaching in U.S. public schools helped me in the process of re-evaluating my understanding of United States history and government. Would have blown my mind if I hadn't read Howard Zinn first. BTW, Amazon ships this book quickly at a good price -- I got it two days after ordering.