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August 10, 2008
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MusingMom Kris
gave  to:
If You Were There in 1492 (Hardcover)
by
David Brenner
bookshelves:
catholic-unfriendly
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my rating:
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MusingMom said:
"If You Were There in 1492 is supposed to be a book describing life in Spain during those time; instead it is one of many contemporary books setting out to rewrite history altogether. Europeans, it seems, are filthy, wicked, close-minded people while...more
If You Were There in 1492 is supposed to be a book describing life in Spain during those time; instead it is one of many contemporary books setting out to rewrite history altogether. Europeans, it seems, are filthy, wicked, close-minded people while we must feel sorry for all the wonderful other people they attacked and oppressed. Sounds like hyperbole? This book is just that exaggerated.
In A Traveler in Spain we learn about poor houses and roads, garbage and sewerage, and how dirty the inns are. As you travel south into the farm county of the Moors, all is beautiful and serene. "Even though you are a stranger, the Arab is bound by his Islamic religion to offer you hospitality." So of course they all did, right?
The next chapter, titled The Moors furthers the distortion. The first paragraph tells of 700 years before when the Moors first came. Only after a few sentences about how advanced and renowned they were while Europe was in the Dark Ages does the author mention that "they were also, like many other people of that time, warriors and conquerors."
But that was long before 1492, so their brutality is nothing we should dwell on, not when we can dwell on the intolerance of the Spanish Catholics for the rest of the chapter. "They tried to convert them. If that didn't work they tried to kill them." Just because the Moors did just that to most of the world--wait, sorry, apparently not in Spain in 1492 (really?) so that must not be relevant.
The melodramatic ending to this early chapter leaves little reason to read the rest of this "history" book. Boabdil (Abdallah) surrenders, but those wicked, cold-hearted monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella would accept no plea bargains.
"Imagine being there on that dramatic day in 1492. You could have seen bearded Abdallah, mounted on a black horse, ride out of the fortress-city." After ordering the servants seal Granada and handing the keys to the monarchs, he rides off into the mountains in exile. "You might even have seen him pause to take one last look backward, at the place known today as the "Last Sigh of the Moor." I kid you not.
Well, he rode off in exile. Maybe those Spanish Christians weren't as ruthless as Brenner makes them out to be?(less)
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MusingMom Kris
gave to:
Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei (Paperback)
by
Peter Sis
bookshelves:
catholic-unfriendly
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my rating:
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MusingMom said:
"Just reading the description of this book will indicate the biased nature of this story. It states the book is for ages 8 and up, but it is set in a picture-book format tempting to younger children. Although Galileo was never tortured, Sis decides ...more
Just reading the description of this book will indicate the biased nature of this story. It states the book is for ages 8 and up, but it is set in a picture-book format tempting to younger children. Although Galileo was never tortured, Sis decides he needed to discuss this, complete with a large and disturbing image that even 8 year olds need not be exposed to (a real nightmare starter!)
Sis clearly has his anti-Catholic viewpoint reflected in this brief summation void of any complexity surrounding Galileo's life.(less)
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MusingMom Kris
gave to:
The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread (Paperback)
by
Kate DiCamillo
bookshelves:
catholic-unfriendly,
currently-reading
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my rating:
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MusingMom Kris
gave  to:
America: The Last Best Hope (Volume II): From a World at War to the Triumph of Freedom (America: the Last Best Hope)
by
William J. Bennett
bookshelves:
favorites,
to-read
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my rating:
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March 20, 2008
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MusingMom Kris
gave to:
America: The Last Best Hope (Volume I): From the Age of Discovery to a World at War
by
William J. Bennett
bookshelves:
favorites
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my rating:
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March 07, 2008
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MusingMom Kris
gave to:
Math: Facing an American Phobia (Paperback)
by
Marilyn Burns
bookshelves:
favorites
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my rating:
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MusingMom said:
"Marilyn Burns clearly understands, describes, and offers solutions for our widespread American math phobia. Though a serious topic, discussions of the causes and solutions come about as Burns describes how to teach math to kids in our every day live...more
Marilyn Burns clearly understands, describes, and offers solutions for our widespread American math phobia. Though a serious topic, discussions of the causes and solutions come about as Burns describes how to teach math to kids in our every day lives at home. She enlightens us as to where from our own math phobias come, and how to prevent us from passing it on to our children. She also demonstrates better classroom approaches to teaching math.
Marilyn Burns is an exceptional math teacher, but especially in the era of No Child Left Behind and teaching to tests, rarely do teachers instruct in the idyllic way Ms Burns suggests. Her book is yet another affirmation of our homeschooling, enlightening me to approaching math with my children.
While Kenschaft's book Math Power is a broader and more detailed book, Burns captures the essentials and presents them in a more interesting format. A must-read for homeschoolers.(less)
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