Inside American Education

I have a number of books by Thomas Sowell and this on has become one of my favorites probably because I was a teacher at one time but before the union and when we could actually discipline students. When I was in college and had to take "education courses" although my major was "History, English, and Political Science", my college wanted to put Education on my diploma but I insisted they put History instead. Education courses did NOT in any way teach me how to teach! I completely agree with Mr Sowell as to how to correct American Education - do away with education departments in college, get rid of tenure at all levels, provide choice of schools by the parents, teach actual courses such as reading, writing, math, science, and the process of thinking and solving matters. We definitely need to get rid of the indoctrination of students at all levels and the teaching of self-esteem rather than letting student earn the self-esteem for themselves which will really make a difference to the ultimate success of the student once they get to the "real world". I have enjoyed and learned from all of Thomas Sowell's books as he writes in common sense language.

I am very fascinated with understanding the school system and the potential to create satire from a deep and thorough felt understanding along with my own experience. Thomas's book is wonderful at showing me simply and factually what I recall from my childhood. There is a memory of me trying to tell my parents that the school system was crazy and them being completely resistant towards my plea.After graduating and doing a couple years in college, the feeling of this system being mad has only increased. I've now been on a journey, reading many books, watching films and looking at others art who all find the system to be the definition of insanity and in a world where none dare call out the 'angles' who all run the system. What am amazing opportunity we have to acknowledge this unconscious circus of misery that we thrust all the youth into without being able to talk of its origins or how it functions. This is an artists dream come true...although we all had to go through the nightmare to recognize it as such.Thomas brings a most wonderful and thorough look at the deceitful system which is now harming our most precious responsibility, outside of our own enlightenment; the wise guidance of our children.I am glad that there are enough of us to take heed this inner call to find just how perverse this wicked torture instrument we have allowed to grow, like a weed, from a system that was once much more honest and simple and that churned out many more entrepreneurs, artists and self sufficient people with values, critical thinking ability and wisdom;...instead of hipsters, troubled kids and often at best mediocre people who will slave for comfort and safety without ushering forth that unique spark that is in each of us which alone is fulfilling. We have kids looking to be hero's now because they are taught the collectivist jive that the loser professors, like the parasites they are, brought with them. But I think there is a silver lining and we can all have a huge laugh as we each begin to recognize this and create an artistic explosion in a world that tries to censor and condemn anything that is not PC. All of the books and talks Thomas gives helps me to be a better artist and enables me to make mind balm from his very insightful deep looking at vital issues that are falsely handled by the entrenched elite and a legion of hipsters who are just looking for something to give their all to...but who are misguided to the extreme; I was one of them:)

One of the best books I've ever read. Have your eyes completely opened about this subject. I knew it was bad before I read the book, but I had no idea HOW bad it truly is! I recommend this to all as a must-read if you care about the future of America and the youth.

An incredible review of the US education system, if you are not knowledgeable of how the education system really works, at the k-12 level or the university, this will give more understanding than 99% of the population. I phenomenal book. It does however, get a little repetitive at the end.

This is a classic among the late 20thc studies of American education. It takes as its province the entire spectrum of our educational system, from K-12 to college, graduate school, and beyond. It pulls no punches. The criticism is harsh, the anecdotes salient and nearly every statement is anchored by a specific scholarly or journalistic reference, the endnotes comprising over 50 pp. of text.Thomas Sowell is a trained economist, one of the most lucid expositors of economic principles. He is also a cultural commentator, broadly conceived. I have yet to read one of his books that was not clear, trenchant and bold. He deals in hard facts and common sense and while his orientation is generally characterized as `conservative' he makes his points in persuasive, nonideological ways. When he confronts ideology he counters with empirical evidence. He is a social scientist, not a casual observer. He marshals historical evidence, philosophic evidence and anthropological evidence and always has a fresh slant on much-discussed issues.How candid is he in this book? He argues against racial admission preferences on the grounds that they serve to hurt the minorities they are intended to help. He then demonstrates that there were already concerns that this might prove to be the case, back in the 1960's, on the left as well as on the right. He does this all very dispassionately. He argues that one of the reasons for all of the touchy/feely `affective' education in K-12 results from the fact that education students are the weakest in the university, taught by the weakest faculty in the weakest school, required to take the weakest courses. Their affection for the `affective' derives, in part, from their lack of success in traditional academic subject areas. Hence, they flee from the `basics' because their personal experience with them was unpleasant, even though their very job is to teach the basic, academic subjects and that is what the vast majority of students and parents want them to do. While some of the arguments are carefully modulated there is not a wishy-washy sentence in the book.Some of the book is dated; we have ameliorated some of the concerns of 1993. On the other hand, the majority of the concerns have increased in magnitude. All we need do to bring his arguments up to date is to move the appropriate decimal points or add a more intensive adjective.Still highly recommended.