Review: Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen
I have a general interest in history so I thought this one sounded like fun. And it is!
As the title says this book explores the lies taught in American high schools. It takes a number of high profile different topics like Columbus, racism, the government etc. and delves deeper into them, shoeing what is taught in schools and why that's not the truth. for instance Columbus is mostly revered as the discoverer of America and has his own day of celebration, but there are a lot of things he did during this "discovery" that are never taught in the schools. Like enslaving the local peoples he met, bringing plagues to the Americas and all round not being the great guy history sets him up to be.
The book also looks at WHY these topics are taught like this, when for some of them at least we very well know that that is not the truth of what happened. I found this aspect really interesting too, because who controls history and why do they spin it the way they do?
It's hard to say too much more without going into a lengthy discussion on the topic, but if you are at all interested in American history in particular or history in general and the way certain things are stressed and other things left behind through time, then this book is for you.
I gave it 4 stars out of 5 on Goodreads.
As the title says this book explores the lies taught in American high schools. It takes a number of high profile different topics like Columbus, racism, the government etc. and delves deeper into them, shoeing what is taught in schools and why that's not the truth. for instance Columbus is mostly revered as the discoverer of America and has his own day of celebration, but there are a lot of things he did during this "discovery" that are never taught in the schools. Like enslaving the local peoples he met, bringing plagues to the Americas and all round not being the great guy history sets him up to be.
The book also looks at WHY these topics are taught like this, when for some of them at least we very well know that that is not the truth of what happened. I found this aspect really interesting too, because who controls history and why do they spin it the way they do?
It's hard to say too much more without going into a lengthy discussion on the topic, but if you are at all interested in American history in particular or history in general and the way certain things are stressed and other things left behind through time, then this book is for you.
I gave it 4 stars out of 5 on Goodreads.
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