Have you ever picked up a book that seemed like it would never end, not because it was captivating, but because it was confusing and dull? Well, that's exactly what happened to me with Lies My Teacher Told Me. In fact, I have to say that this book holds the top spot as the most boring book I've ever read in my fifteen years of life.

Now, let's get into the details of why I didn't like this book. There are three main reasons. First of all, it's just too dull. I'm someone who loves excitement and adventure, and this book had absolutely none of that. It talked about really boring subjects that just didn't interest me at all. The chapters were way too long, with some having thirty pages or more. It felt like it took forever to get through each one.

Another reason I didn't like this book is that it's way too long. There was just so much to read, and it seemed like one subject would take forever to explain. For example, chapter four, "Red Eyes," went on for thirty-nine pages just to cover the topic of history. That's nineteen pages more than what I think is a reasonable length for a chapter.

Finally, this book is just too confusing. It jumps from one topic to another so quickly that it's hard to keep up. And the words used in the book are so advanced that I often had to look them up in the dictionary. By the time I figured out what one word meant, I had already lost track of what was going on in the story.

In conclusion, I really didn't like Lies My Teacher Told Me. It was dull, long, and confusing, and I would not recommend it to anyone. I felt like this book should have never been published because it was just that bad. If you're looking for a good book to read, I suggest you look elsewhere.

I would have had to have listened, before I could have been lied to. This simple statement holds a profound truth. In our daily lives, we are constantly bombarded with information, some of which may be false. If we don't take the time to listen carefully and analyze what we hear, we are vulnerable to being deceived. However, it is not enough to simply avoid being lied to. We also have a responsibility to fight for the truth. This means standing up for what is right, even when it is difficult. It means speaking out against falsehoods and injustices. And it means being willing to put in the effort to seek out the truth, no matter where it may lead.

But fighting for the truth can be tiring. Sometimes, we may feel so exhausted that we just want to give up. In those moments, it can be tempting to just go to sleep and forget about everything. But we can't. We have to keep fighting, even when it seems hopeless. Because the truth is worth fighting for. It is the foundation upon which our society is built. Without it, we would have chaos and confusion.

So, the next time you are faced with a lie, don't just roll over and accept it. Stand up, speak out, and fight for the truth. And if you get tired, take a break, but don't give up. Because in the end, the truth will always prevail.

This book offers some truly eye-opening and fascinating facts.

It presents a novel perspective on history that people have studied repeatedly, and it clearly reveals the shortcomings of US history textbooks.

However, in my opinion, the last few chapters devolve into an unnecessary diatribe.

As a high school US history teacher, I can assure you that we can spot the falsehoods when we encounter them. We are also aware of the problems in these textbooks and do our utmost to offer additional sources and activities to encourage students to ask the questions they ought to be asking.

My main concern with this book is the solution it proposes for teachers: "cover fewer topics."

Although that may sound appealing, we have to maintain our jobs and cover all the standards set by the state.

Despite the ending of this book, I truly relished the writing style and the issues it addressed.

I must say that I was truly on the verge of awarding this book a full 5 stars. It presented an engaging and thoroughly researched account.

It was a fascinating journey to explore 12 widely used history textbooks and meticulously identify the misinformation, the glaring omissions, and how the history of the past has a profound impact on the history we are currently experiencing.

I wholeheartedly believe that this book would serve as an excellent supplementary resource for homeschool teachers. It can serve as a valuable reminder for them to step away from their regular textbooks and delve into other aspects of history, to gain a deeper understanding of historical figures, and to inspire more critical thinking and questioning among their students.

This book has the potential to enhance the learning experience and encourage a more comprehensive and nuanced approach to studying history.

I firmly believe that this book holds significant importance and remains highly valid even today. The astonishing aspect is the complete absence of agency that history books attribute to anything other than 'progress'. Regrettably, despite having a very engaging first half, the book begins to flounder completely. At a certain point, I came to the realization that this would have been far more interesting if the author had presented his thesis in a lengthy essay and then composed a condensed U.S. history book围绕着他的观点. It would have been something to be read through gradually rather than all at once.

This approach would have allowed for a more in-depth exploration of the author's ideas and a better understanding of how they fit into the broader context of U.S. history. As it stands, the book's structure and pacing make it a bit of a slog to get through towards the end. However, the initial concepts and arguments presented are still thought-provoking and值得 further consideration.

Perhaps with a different organizational strategy, the author could have created a more impactful and accessible work that would have reached a wider audience and had a greater influence on the field of history.

Oh, what a powerful book it is! It delves deep into the inner-workings of how the USA constantly botches up its history, either intentionally or semi-intentionally.

I read this book a long time ago, long before those fools on the Texas school board got together. I was recommended this book by my 10th grade history teacher, and perhaps this is the reason why she is my favorite teacher ever. (Sorry, Dr. Lechelt, you were so close!)

This book reveals to you just some of the ways in which Americans are being criminally misled, either by choice or unwittingly, about their history. It makes you question what you thought you knew and opens your eyes to the hidden truths and inaccuracies that have been passed down through the years.

It is a must-read for anyone who wants to have a more accurate understanding of American history and the forces that have shaped it.

This book was published in 1996.

At that time, elementary schools didn't have computers.

Wikipedia wasn't the starting point for every high-schooler's research paper.

Life as we now know it hadn't begun yet.

However, my history classes were taught from books published before 1996, and my teachers were educated before then.

If it weren't for my need to read all things published, my exposure to history might have ended where most Americans do, at graduation.

Loewen spent a decade reviewing 12 popular high school history textbooks and published his findings.

He makes a fair case for the idea that our history books don't tell the whole story, and in some cases, don't tell the truth.

If you graduated from high school longer than 10 years ago, you'll be as fascinated as I was to learn the dark side of our national heroes.

Yes, I knew Jefferson owned slaves, but I didn't know Betsy Ross didn't sew the flag.

I didn't know there was a plague that wiped out an entire tribe leaving only Squanto to help the Pilgrims plant that corn.

I didn't know Pilgrim was a made-up term.

As a matter of fact, there was a lot I didn't know.

This book is worth picking up if you're remotely interested in US History, or in education, or have children.

It offers a fresh perspective and reveals many hidden aspects of our history that we might not have known otherwise.

It is truly a matter of shame that, being a history major, the blatant presence of ethnocentric cheerleading in my high school history textbooks escaped my notice. This study excellently reveals the various ways in which our perception of history is influenced by politics, revisionism, and a form of "patriotism" that values unity and pride more than confronting our past mistakes and crimes.

Many prominent reviews of this book asserted that it was a kind of diary of white guilt. However, I have always believed that "white guilt," at least when used pejoratively, refers to white people obsessively searching for the tiniest offense we have committed, then overly lamenting and dismissing the rest of white civilization in a way that shows a distorted sense of perspective. But Loewen does not engage in any of this. All he does is explain: how we have incorporated fabricated stories into our heroic narratives; how we have sanitized great men like Washington, Jefferson, FDR, and Wilson, stripping them of any flaws and leading to strange expectations and comparisons with our modern statesmen; the one-sided nature of the narratives (and how textbooks not only contribute to perpetuating these inaccuracies but even require them, as seen in a textbook's refusal to depict the Pilgrims as barbaric despite ample evidence); and the strange way the active voice is constantly used to hide American warmongering (war always "broke out" rather than being "fomented by American economic interests"). This seems to me to be crucial knowledge that every civic-minded citizen should possess, not just liberal self-reflection.

I gave this book 3 stars instead of 4 because a significant portion of it focuses on the educational implications of teaching history in this way, as well as the politics of textbook creation and distribution. This is not exactly my area of interest. However, the first 8 - 9 chapters were truly quite excellent.

GREAT title!

It really makes you think about all those HS History Classes you endured, sitting there and wondering what crucial aspects they were omitting from the discussion.

For instance, how come we never delved into the Vietnam War?

History seemingly "ended" at WWII; we always assumed it simply coincided with the conclusion of the school year (oops - "no time" to discuss anything further! Have a great summer, kids!).

This book truly explores how the top 10 American History Textbooks, which are taught in 95% of American High Schools, present readers with the "feel-good" versions of American History.

It also reveals how the not-so-pretty aspects of American History, such as slavery, the treatment of Native Americans, the Gilded Age, immigration, and so on, which had a profound impact (and still do) on the American population, are either glossed over or presented as "not so bad" as they actually were.

It is a very interesting and intense read that forces us to reevaluate what we thought we knew about American History.

I initially thought that I was going to have a great liking for this. I simply assumed that, given the fact that I am a history teacher, I would be able to extract something valuable from it to incorporate into my classroom teaching. However, instead of uncovering a coherent and cogent arrangement of information that I had never learned before or felt inadequately informed about, I was met with a meandering voice that was not only repetitive but also inconclusive and, in fact, quite offensive in some aspects.

Other than a few sporadic moments, I never found myself exclaiming "wow really." Throughout my academic years, in high school, undergraduate, and graduate school, I have been fortunate enough to have had excellent history teachers. And as a teacher myself, I strive to portray and encourage my students to view and understand multiple perspectives. It offers a more nuanced and detailed view of our past, which is not only more salient but also, hopefully, more likely to capture the students' interest.

Anyway, I would not recommend this book. It is a waste of time. On the other hand, I would highly recommend Howard Zinn's A People's History. That is truly a remarkable piece of writing that presents an alternate history of the United States. I can reread it any day without hesitation, whereas getting through this book was a real struggle.

Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James W. Loewen starts off powerfully. It presents alarming characterizations about figures like Senor Columbus, the Founding Fathers and their slaves, as well as witch trials and civil rights struggles. However, it then devolves into the author's crusade for textbook reform.

His points are valid for any objective historian. But the length to which he belabors these inequalities becomes tiresome. As expected, he begins with the early "discoverers" of America. The fact that Nordic and Hispanic peoples predated the Anglos by centuries and that Indians had been here for thousands of years is a good starting point. His recounting of the number of natives who died from European disease offers a new statistic. Credible evidence from George Catlin in 1840 estimated that 98% of indigenous peoples were wiped out via disease, warfare, starvation, and deculturation. This is significant as early white settlers didn't have much time to clear forested lands and start farming. With the decimation of the native population, ready-to-plow farmlands became available as the Indians had been clearing and cultivating their lands for centuries. It's like "Kill an Indian, get a farm."

He moves systematically through the years, but most of the final chapters are dedicated to more specific, nit-picky contentions. This doesn't mean it's not the author's point, but the writing leaves me behind with his relentless crusading. I think he could have made his points more briefly without grinding the book to a halt with his rants, which are as subjective as some of the things he is decrying.

You can’t handle the truth.
Dr. Loewen does an excellent job of revealing the lies that your history teachers have told you. He also spends some time discussing the educational publishing industry. Since I have some experience in that particular field, I will return the favor and tell you the truth about some of the statements he has made.
1. The author claims that the people whose names appear on the covers of el/hi textbooks are not necessarily the authors of the book. This is indeed true. I was a staff writer and editor for a major el/hi publisher in the 1970s and 80s. Over an eight-year period, I wrote several textbooks, mostly English/Language Arts texts. However, the names of influential educators appeared on the covers of those books as the authors. I did receive one free copy of each book, though. And I'm not at all bitter.
2. The author claims that textbook companies modify textbooks to suit local biases and desires. This is also true. For example, not too long ago, a chapter in a U.S. history book might be titled “The Civil War” in the North and “The War of Northern Aggression” in the edition sold in the South. Yes, this really happened, and quite often. In the early 1980s, my company developed a high school biology book that never mentioned the words Darwin or Evolution. This decision was made because there was a movement in one state at the time to ban the teaching of evolution in schools.
3. The author claims that the states of Texas and California have excessive influence on what appears in textbooks. This is true. In both of those states, only the textbook series approved by the state adoption committee will be purchased by the states. So the publishers do whatever it takes to try to get adopted. Given the different political cultures in those states, it is challenging to satisfy both of them. For instance, my company once had a history book criticized by the California adoption committee because there was not enough diversity on the pages at the end of the book. Those pages contained portraits of all of the U.S. Presidents, and they were all portraits of old white men. I don't know what we were thinking. Texas, on the other hand, criticized that same book because it contained sidebars showing people from diverse backgrounds who had achieved something significant, such as the first Hispanic governor of New Mexico and the first African American female astronaut. The efforts to please Texas and California meant that the other 48 states ended up with materials that had been altered to keep the adoption committees of those two large states happy.
4. The author claims that history textbooks do not encourage students to develop critical thinking skills. This is true, but in defense of the publishers, some of the topics the author wants students to consider may be against the law. For example, in 2022, the state of Florida passed a bill that essentially prohibits discussing topics on civil rights history or racial equality in schools. Also, some states oppose allowing students to think critically and make value judgments. Back in my day, one of my company's history books asked students to discuss the pros and cons of the U.S. dropping an atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945. One state wanted that changed to “Why was it necessary for the U.S. to blow the frickin’ crap out of Hiroshima?” OK, my memory may be a bit hazy; those may not have been the exact words they wanted to use, but you get the idea, right.
5. At a recent family reunion, two of my cousins, both of whom are very intelligent, accomplished individuals and conservatives and Trump supporters, pressured me to admit that educational publishers are secretly promoting the liberal/socialist agenda in the materials they sell. I don't know where they could have heard such a thing. (Well, yes I do, and I bet you do too.) I told them this is not true. Educational publishers will dance to whatever tune the fiddler wants to play.
Note: I spent over 40 years in educational publishing, but I retired 15 years ago, and I haven't kept up with all of the latest trends in publishing. So Caveat Emptor and all that. Maybe educational publishers have grown a spine. Maybe politicians are now more concerned about kids getting a good education than they are about scoring political points. Maybe. It could have happened.