Inside American Education: The Decline, the Deception, the Dogmas

by Thomas Sowell

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An indictment of the American educational system criticizes the fact that the system has discarded the traditional goals of transmitting knowledge and fostering cognitive skills in favor of building self-esteem and promoting social harmony.

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3 reviews
Although I don't remember specifics about this book, I do remember it being a fascinating breakdown on what has gone wrong with our education system. It's broken down into 3 parts. The first part (elementary schools) discusses the brainwashing of children and the promoting of the education system's ideologies at the expense of parental ideologies. The second part (colleges and universities) deals with admissions criteria, "preachy" professors, double standards, and athletics. The third section is an assessment of where we are heading and what we can do about it.

My only criticism (of myself rather than the author) is that Sowell writes over my head. I have three of his other books (The Vision of the Anointed, The Quest For Cosmic show more Justice) that I couldn't finish because they were too difficult to understand. I find myself reading sentences and paragraphs several times because I hadn't the faintest idea what he was talking about. What can I say, I like conversational writing as opposed to a master's thesis. show less
critique of American education, especially classroom brainwashing and racial politics
Read it!!!
All ages, it's never too early, but if we wait it could be too late!

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Author Information

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76+ Works 15,298 Members
Thomas Sowell is the Rose and Milton Friedman Senior Fellow on Public Policy at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University.

Common Knowledge

Canonical title
Inside American Education: The Decline, the Deception, the Dogmas
Original publication date
1993
Epigraph
For the first time in the history of our country, the educational skills of one generation will not surpass, will not equal, will not even approach, those of their parents.
--John Copperman
Dedication
To Na Liu whose dedicated work helped make this book possible.
First words
(Preface): Like many other people, I have long been appalled by the low quality and continuing deterioration of American education.
Virtually everyone has heard how poorly American students perform, whether compared to foreign students or to American students of a generation ago.
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)The stakes today are our children's future -- and nothing should be more worthy of the effort.

Classifications

Genres
Nonfiction, General Nonfiction, Politics and Government
DDC/MDS
370.973Society, Government, and CultureEducationEducationHistory, geographic treatment, biographyNorth AmericaUnited States
LCC
LA210 .S65EducationHistory of educationHistory of educationUnited States
BISAC

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322
Popularity
97,809
Reviews
3
Rating
(4.13)
Languages
English
Media
Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
ISBNs
4
UPCs
1
ASINs
4