Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong | 
 enlarge | Author: James W. Loewen
Publisher: Touchstone
Category: Book
List Price: $16.00
Buy New: $9.61
You Save: $6.39 (40%)
New (40) Collectible (1) from $9.61
Avg. Customer Rating:  416 reviews
Sales Rank: 1936
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 464
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6.1 x 1.3
ISBN: 0743296281
Dewey Decimal Number: 973
EAN: 9780743296281
ASIN: 0743296281
Publication Date: October 16, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New, Perfect Condition, Please allow 4-14 business days for delivery. 100% Money Back Guarantee, Over 1,000,000 customers served.
|
| Also Available In:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Winner of the American Book Award and the Oliver C. Cox
Anti-Racism Award of The American Sociological Association Americans have lost touch with their history, and in Lies My Teacher Told Me Professor James Loewen shows why. After surveying eighteen leading high school American history texts, he has concluded that not one does a decent job of making history interesting or memorable. Marred by an embarrassing combination of blind patriotism, mindless optimism, sheer misinformation, and outright lies, these books omit almost all the ambiguity, passion, conflict, and drama from our past. In this revised edition, packed with updated material, Loewen explores how historical myths continue to be perpetuated in today's climate and adds an eye-opening chapter on the lies surrounding 9/11 and the Iraq War. From the truth about Columbus's historic voyages to an honest evaluation of our national leaders, Loewen revives our history, restoring the vitality and relevance it truly possesses. Thought provoking, nonpartisan, and often shocking, Loewen unveils the real America in this iconoclastic classic beloved by high school teachers, history buffs, and enlightened citizens across the country.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 411 more reviews...
 Fantastic August 16, 2008
I purchased this book years ago and I still have it. I purchased it after high school (catchy title - what can I say) and have been a history fan ever since. This book should be required reading. Who decided that dry facts and dates are what should comprise a history class? History becomes fun and fascinating when you move past the whitewashed versions of people and truly examine their motivation, inner demons and flaws. I have gone on to read a multitude of history books and continue to search for the soul in people who have accomplished things that aren't regulated to footnotes.
Great read for anyone who hasn't thought about history since high school August 13, 2008
If you've never had in interest in history and remember cringing at the site of your 1000-page textbook and droll high school American History teacher, this book will engage and enthrall you.
Even people with a profound interest in history and some historians will learn a thing or two from this eye-opening Loewen account of how and why history textbooks failed us as children and continue to fail children K-12 today.
Excellent listen and eye-opening information July 29, 2008
This is an excellent book. I listened to most of it during a long drive. It kept my attention without overwheleming me so I could drive safely. The information presented is informative and will change your perspective on a number of issuse in American history.
 One Third History -- Two Thirds Oratory July 23, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I was extremely disappointed in this book. I don't argue with the majority of what the author has to say, or most of his information, but it seems as if every other paragraph he's telling you why misinformation is a bad thing, how you've been duped, his opinion on why you've been duped, and what you should be doing about it. Not a bad idea in small doses, however, the non-stop rhetoric distracts from the information he's providing. I found the book tiring after a mere 50 pages.
If you've read nothing but history textbooks from high school, a lot of the information contained within these pages might surprise you, as well as keep you interested. If you're a history buff there's not a lot new here.
I don't dispute the author's basic message, only his seeming determination to repeat it ad nauseam. Do yourself a favor and read the intro, absorb the premise, look for your own primary sources (Compare, compare, compare!) and easier-to-digest secondary sources, then as the author seems to recommend--think it through for yourself.
Axe to grind....right down to the handle. July 17, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I must begin by saying that the author has some very valid points to make...actually, about 4 or 5. The points are then belaboured and repeated to the point where you think: "Didn't he already say this three times already?". This book came out during the very popular, "everything is so dammed Eurocentric" sentiment bandwagon of the 90s. The question is whether you wish to teach kids to be so incredibly cynical as a learning foundation. It's a bit like reading a book on the world by Abbie Hoffman. There's truth in there somewhere but you have to filter out the ranting--and there's a lot of that! To be honest, the truth is probably somewhere in between.
|
|
|
