book data
99 ratings, 3.72 average rating, 11 reviews
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published
1992
by William a Thomas Braille
binding
Paperback
isbn
1569562199
(isbn13: 9781569562192)
description
In this forceful manifesto, Hirsch argues that children in the U.S. are being deprived of the basic knowledge that would enable them to function in co...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 182)
Read in July, 2008
This book is not enjoyable to read. It does have a very interesting thesis. The main idea in the book is that the education in America has changed in the last 100 years and the results are that children today struggle with reading and comprehension. Hirsch cites lots of research to validate his claim that reading and the comprehension associated with it require a certain amount of basic background information. The children with high vocabularies comprehend more of what they read. The vocabu...more
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While I agree that cultural literacy is important, especially in the development of young readers, I disagree with what Hirsch identifies as vital information. His list is narrow and culturally homogeneous. Unfortunately, the state of educational and business affairs in the United States currently does seem heavily reliant upon this same narrow idea of intelligence. Both seem blind to the idea that perhaps cultural literacy is not failing in this age of vast communication, but that the new m...more
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Read in January, 2002
recommends it for:
Those in the Bible Belt
The vast majority of Americans are not culturally literate. This should be no surprise since our schools are designed to fail. Europeans favor scholarship over student's enjoyment of studies. For this reason they eventually learn to enjoy scholarship down the road as "fun time" is over after preschool. Engaging lessons -- my ass. Americans are doomed to failure until culture is injected into the system and evangelical teachers have their certifications revoked.
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Read in January, 2004
recommended to Tori by:
Carl Walleyrecommends it for: Educators
Hirsch can kiss my a$$, as can anyone else who has ridiculously conservative (and uninformed!)ideas about turning our public education classrooms into corporate machines. That said, I feel it's important to always know what "the other side" is up to, and that was my main focus when reading this literary gem.
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Read in April, 2008
This is an academic book, so it may not be the most exciting book to read, but it was very imformative and I thought Hirsch was spot on about what has happened to education in America and where it is currently heading. He gives a solid argument for what culturally literate Americans should know.
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While I don't agree with everything that is stated as "fact" in this book, it does show how other cultures think and why certain parts of history are important to those different cultures. Josh and I are reading it together and it has spurned great conversations between us and our friends.
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This book was interesting in theory. But like a lot of "theory" books, difficult to get people to do what is suggested. This goes back to Plato's Republic where the "intelligentsia" was to lead the masses to a Utopian society. Nice thought, difficult to enforce.
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Read in April, 2008
Read this, I think that every American should realize what is holding us back from progress. Amazing insight into education and the problems of the US.
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I found this "list" approach tiresome. It was popular -- was it because those who read it were satisfied they knew what Hirsch thought they should?
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This study of the “things we should all know” caused quite an uproar in the 1980s when it came out. It is very provocative.
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Read in January, 1990
It would be interesting to read it again now and see how his ideas have held up over the years...
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