The New Dictionary Of Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know

by E.D. Hirsch Jr., James S. Trefil (Editor), Joseph F. Kett

In this fast-paced information age, how can Americans know what's really important and what's just a passing fashion? Now more than ever, we need a source that concisely sums up the knowledge that matters to Americans -- the people, places, ideas, and events that shape our cultural conversation. With more than six thousand entries,The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy is that invaluable source.
Wireless technology. Gene therapy. NAFTA. In addition to the thousands of terms described in the original Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, here are more than five hundred new entries to bring Americans' bank of essential knowledge up to date. The original entries have been fully revised to reflect recent changes in world history and politics, American literature, and, especially, science and technology. Cultural icons that have stood the test of time (Odysseus, Leaves of Grass, Cleopatra, the Taj Mahal, D-Day) appear alongside entries on such varied concerns as cryptography, the digital divide, the European Union, Kwanzaa, pheromones, SPAM, Type A and Type B personalities, Web browsers, and much, much more.
As our world becomes more global and interconnected, it grows smaller through the terms and touchstones that unite us. As E. D. Hirsch writes in the preface, "Community is built up of shared knowledge and values -- the same shared knowledge that is taken for granted when we read a book or newspaper, and that is also taken for granted as part of the fabric that connects us to one another." A delicious concoction of information for anyone who wants to be in the know, The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy brilliantly confirms once again that it is "an excellent piece of work . . . stimulating and enlightening" (New York Times) -- the most definitive and comprehensive family sourcebook of its kind.

Genres: Reference, Nonfiction, History, Education, Cultural, Sociology, Teaching

672 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

E. D. Hirsch, Jr. is the founder and chairman of the Core Knowledge Foundation and professor emeritus of education and humanities at the University of Virginia. He is the author of several acclaimed books on education in which he has persisted as a voice of reason making the case for equality of educational opportunity.

A highly regarded literary critic and professor of English earlier in his career, Dr. Hirsch recalls being “shocked into education reform” while doing research on written composition at a pair of colleges in Virginia. During these studies he observed that a student’s ability to comprehend a passage was determined in part by the relative readability of the text, but even more by the student’s background knowledge.

This research led Dr. Hirsch to develop his concept of cultural literacy—the idea that reading comprehension requires not just formal decoding skills but also wide-ranging background knowledge. In 1986 he founded the Core Knowledge Foundation. A year later he published Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know, which remained at the top of the New York Times bestseller list for more than six months. His subsequent books include The Schools We Need, The Knowledge Deficit, The Making of Americans, and most recently, How to Educate a Citizen: The Power of Shared Knowledge to Unify a Nation.

In How to Educate a Citizen (September, 2020), E.D. Hirsch continues the conversation he began thirty years ago with his classic bestseller Cultural Literacy, urging America’s public schools, particularly in Preschool – Grade 8, to educate our children using common, coherent and sequenced curricula to help heal and preserve the nation.

Reviews

[Toba · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that belongs in every home, school, and library. It is NOT aimed at children (at least not the edition I have), nor is it intended to be a text book. It is a reference of most of the things that go into making the "culture" of today's world. Excellent background information and essential knowledge. I happen to have read it cover to cover, and found it endlessly interesting and thought provoking.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in preparation of the Foreign Service Officer Test. I have to say, it covers just about every possible subject. I found it very helpful and it was written in an easily understood manner. I'd recommend this to everyone, especially students.

[Pollopicu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a book you read from cover to cover. It's a cultural dictionary for adults. I study a bit at bedtime. I love it! I've learned much from it. This book coupled with cross-referencing on the internet can lead to amazing wealth of knowledge.



This is not a kids book! The one some of the reviewers are referring to is this one..
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618...

[Maura · Rating 2 out of 5]

The purpose of this work - an encyclopedia of stuff kids should learn - is a shameful way to approach education. (I bought this hardback copy for $0.75 a library book sale!)

[Hank Hoeft · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was in college, I had a roommate who prepared to take the MCAT by reading a dictionary in his spare time. I've never read a general dictionary myself, but reading The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know is almost as omnivorous and probably a lot more interesting. I am a big believer in the concept of "cultural literacy"--that is, the idea that to communicate intelligently with others members of one's culture, one needs not only a shared language, but a body of shared ideas. So I read Hirsch's book to fill in gaps that I might have in my store of general knowledge. In doing so, I was gratified to see how much I already was familiar with in certain areas (mainly, the humanities and some branches of science), and I noted where the most gaps existed (Business and Economics, and Medicine and Health). It took me almost a year to make my way through this 600-page volume, reading a page or two at a time, but it was an interesting journey and one that was never boring. A lot of entries were terms I'd heard of but didn't fully understand what they were, but there were also those entries of which I'd never heard before. (For example, I had never heard of "settlement houses," which enjoyed their heyday in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.) I believe a person should never stop learning, never stop exercising one's mind. Reading The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy was an enjoyable way to give my brain a little bit of a workout every day. (Note to those who read this review and might be tempted to read the book themselves: The edition I read was published in 2002. This wasn't a problem for most of the sections, but it meant the section on Technology was a bit dated--if you read this reference work, you might want to get a more recent edition.)

[Glenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The authors, in a previous book, indicate that there are specific facts that must be learned in order for people to communicate. Now I'm all for facts in school, but their method for choosing facts is simply what they thought was needed. On top of that, because they feel science is lacking in school, they add lots of science words. I know plenty of adults who wouldn't know half of those science words, but who all manage to communicate effectively anyway. I like the idea of the book, but I question whether some of the information in there is really necessary for the purposes they claim.

[Jared Blum · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read an interview where Ken Jennings recommended this book as a way to study for Jeopardy! So, this is how I studied for Jeopardy! supplemented by reviewing old questions on the J! Archive. This book is a good starting point for study, but it quickly becomes apparent that there is not enough detail on any one topic to answer most reasonable trivia questions about that subject. I would read an entry, then consult outside sources to gain a further depth of knowledge. I felt this was a good strategy, but I lost on Jeopardy, so maybe it wasn't.

[Ebookwormy1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book brings out the nerd in me - not just a little, but a lot. Oh to have a book like this for every culture of the world! Important information for American natives, essential for those who desire integration or close communication with Americans.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Want to know what every reference you've ever heard means? Start studying here. It doesn't explain every one for you, but gives you a good idea of where you need to start your research.

[Jon Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

The chapters on the liberal arts at the beginning seem extremely valuable to this day. Helps explain Bible references and mythology references that you should know to interact with American culture. The history/politics section is useful too though at some point the fact it's almost 25 years old starts to show... And I think that's especially true in the science sections.

Of course the idea of having an actual book like this to potentially look things up in... Very not 2025. But I do think there's value in just reading a little of the liberal arts sections day-by-day.

[Eddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Truthfully, quite dull, meant to be an encyclopedia, a reference book than just a straight read. I read it, found some parts to be very interesting, but found many of the entries to be somewhat simplistic in their explanation. I agree with the premise that there are foundations of cultural literacy that we need so that we can converse about the world around us, so it's probably a worthwhile read. Mostly nothing earth shattering, but I did learn some trivia that I'm sure I'll forget.

[Theresa Jehlik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although dated, this is the perfect book for the Jeopardy nerd in your life -- especially if they read a page or two a day. Covering everything from the Bible to Conventions of Written English to World Geography to Idioms, there's a bit of something for everyone. The most dated sections are American History since 1865 and Technology but Jeopardy players won't find that a handicap.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

We purchased this book for our son on the recommendation of a teacher, and I love flipping the pages, learning the meaning and origins of things and phrases I knew but didn't fully understand. With concise and informative explanations, it makes a great reference to keep on the shelf.

[Thomas C.Curtis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had many great ideas, however ... I felt it was a little preachy.

[Deborah Gorman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful general reference on a wide range of subjects

[LMTZ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a bit of it every morning. Lots of good info but some of it outdated in 2020.

[Cheryl]

pbs wishlist

[Nicolas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gosh, I learned so much from this book.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting stuff! A great way to learn history, too!

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't one that needs reviewing. It could use a lot of updating in 2022, otherwise it is what it is. And I had to get through it as Jeopardy prep.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting to hear his perspective on cultural literacy.

[Steve Klassen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great bathroom reader. There are so many phrases that you just don't pick up unless you've read a lot of books.

[Matt Tangorre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every home needs a dictionary, a thesaurus, and this. An encyclopedia in design, but you could read this cover-to-cover and it'll expose you to more people, events, concepts, & ideas than you could ever thought to inquire about on your own. Truly and sincerely, the best book I've ever owned. The notion of "cultural literacy" is an exceptional idea, but one sorely lacking in society today.

[Kim Sasso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey, this is something that will require continual updates and I would love to have that job!

[Leah Sciabarrasi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am in the process of reading 3 E.D. Hirsch books in order. This, of course, was the first in my series. 1987 was a long time ago; I was 5 when this book was written. Needless to say, it was a different time and many things have happened since then.

As mentioned in other reviews, this book is an argument for the need for cultural literacy, in our country and around the world. After reading this book, I drew a few conclusions. 1. Americans do need an underlying cultural literacy, even if radically different from the terms listed in the book. 2. Cultural Literacy is what binds us as a population, nationally and regionally. It is also what compels us to address the past when planning for the future. 3. Cultural literacy is not only a national concern, it's a regional concern. We are loosing the heritage in many of our communities, and we'll never be able to get it back.

I wouldn't say this is a must read. I would say it's a fairly hard read as some of the chapters get pretty winded. Most of the points are sound.

I found that I did not know a lot of the terms suggested. I have decided to plan a blog series in which I investigate these terms. Hopefully I'll find out more about myself in the process.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the book that Shannon Brooks, VP of George Wythe College, told me about. He said that GWC wants every freshman to know what's in this book. Every day after devotional we're testing the girls on what they know, then reading about the things they don't know.
We always talk about cultural literacy now. Today in the newspaper Hal read to us a political editorial about giving up our birthright for a mess of potage. If you don't know the story, then that phrase sure doesn't mean anything.
Hirsch says The Bible is the most important religious book that all Americans should know, to be culturally literate.
This will take awhile to get through, and I wish we had done it years ago.

[Tania · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've finally put this book back on the shelf. I continue to think this book's valuable. While only a genius seven year old would bother to actually read the thing cover to cover, I thought it was fascinating in it's translation of ideas and words that are used in our everyday world. Though definitely more of a reference than a tome of learning.

[Angelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definately a scholarly book about Education but I liked it anyway. His basic idea is that children need to know basic, certain things to get along in society. There is now a huge Charter school movement that uses his program in their schools. It's called "Core Knowledge". Almost all the Charter schools in Utah use it.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cool reference book of all things the culturally literate understand and can talk about. Very cool--divided into sections and the sections are alphabetical. So under "arts" there's little blurbs about movie stars and composers, their best-known work, etc. It's cool to read concise info on people/events I know little or nothing about.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't the type of book to read from cover to cover (it's basically a big giant dictionary!), but I'm loving all the GREAT information! Every time I read another section, I just feel that much smarter... and stupider for all the stuff I need to learn more about!