IRB Intro #4: Lies My Teacher Told Me by: James Loewen

  As we approach May, AP tests loom in my future. The one with the most hard-core information that I have to remember is by far AP US. History (APUSH). I will surely be cramming and re-cramming my brain with dates, presidents, and wars. With laws, legislation, and amendments. But, I will surely be thankful when it is all over, because I officially have the CollegeBoard's approval that I know all about United States History.
   My dad, however, disagrees. This past summer, when I was reading The Crucible, to gear up for APUSH, my dad was reading a book called Lies My Teacher Told Me, by James Loewen. He told me that I absolutely have to read the book. Lies My Teacher Told Me is specifically about United States History. It examines the flaws in American textbooks and teachings across the country, and, supposedly, tells the reader what US History was really like. It cuts out all of the extra fluff details about our founding fathers, and other "great" leaders of America. Occasionally it exploits the glorified leaders for who they really are, often, they are not the good men you would expect. Most of all, it attempts to tell history from other points of view than just who wrote history.
  I hope to learn a few things from this book, especially now that I've just about finish the AP course. I strategically did not want to read this before so that I would not mess up the information I need to know for the test (because we all know how important that is). But now, I will be able to compare my two sources of information and maybe find faults within the book's claim, or even our education ethics here in America about our own history. After all, the losers never get to write the history books...something that Lies My Teacher Told Me aims to set right.

(Source)