Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Review of Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know

Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know
reviewed on + 96 more book reviews


The Most Definitive Book on Educational Theory of the 20th Century, March 19, 2006
Reviewer: Rene A. Navarre (Slidell, LA USA)

Every American educator and most Americans in general need to read this book. It is the most ground breaking text to be written in the United States in the last 100 years. If all schoolboards and educators used this as a guide, we wouldn't have a problem with public education in this country. Unfortunately, the people who need to read it most, will be the ones who won't understand its message. Such is the paradox in American education today.

Do not confuse this book with its companion text "A Dictionary of Cultural Literacy", which several reviewers have done. The original explains Hirsch's theory of "necessary knowledge" and the latter gives brief explanations of all of the items listed in his original book. I agree with one reviewer that a bit more information on each item would be better in the "Dictionary", but it is already a large volume as it is.

Rene Navarre, MBA
Instructor, Remington College