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One Thought Scares Me...: We Teach Our Children What We Wish Them to Know; We Don't Teach Our Children What We Don't Wish Them to Know
We’ve let the meaning of America be reduced to guesswork. It might not be too late.
Our democratic republic is failing, and it shouldn’t be a surprise. We can’t fly a plane without training; we can’t practice medicine without attending medical school. And yet we expect the American people to wield the full power of their citizenship, the product of the most revolutionary governmental thinking in human history, without any education.
We no longer teach our children the Bill of Rights or Constitution. We don’t teach the Enlightenment values that underpin them. We don’t teach the critical thinking skills and mental agility necessary for our own sovereignty. We’ve stopped teaching civics, and now we can’t have a civil political discussion. The American experiment may fail if we don’t act.
Richard Dreyfuss is a forceful advocate for civic education. His latest work, One Thought Scares Me… , explains how the lack of civics education in American education for the last fifty years has led to the deterioration of all aspects of the lives of us, the people. And it shows us the path to reclaiming our American ideals.
Our democratic republic is failing, and it shouldn’t be a surprise. We can’t fly a plane without training; we can’t practice medicine without attending medical school. And yet we expect the American people to wield the full power of their citizenship, the product of the most revolutionary governmental thinking in human history, without any education.
We no longer teach our children the Bill of Rights or Constitution. We don’t teach the Enlightenment values that underpin them. We don’t teach the critical thinking skills and mental agility necessary for our own sovereignty. We’ve stopped teaching civics, and now we can’t have a civil political discussion. The American experiment may fail if we don’t act.
Richard Dreyfuss is a forceful advocate for civic education. His latest work, One Thought Scares Me… , explains how the lack of civics education in American education for the last fifty years has led to the deterioration of all aspects of the lives of us, the people. And it shows us the path to reclaiming our American ideals.
160 pages, Hardcover
Published October 18, 2022
About the author
Richard Dreyfuss
25 books15 followersRichard Stephen Dreyfuss is an Academy Award-winning American actor.
Dreyfuss has dabbled with writing, notably teaming up with Harry Turtledove in 1995 to write The Two Georges, a conspiracy thriller set in an alternate reality in which the American colonies remained under British rule.
Dreyfuss has dabbled with writing, notably teaming up with Harry Turtledove in 1995 to write The Two Georges, a conspiracy thriller set in an alternate reality in which the American colonies remained under British rule.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
October 25, 2022
Richard Dreyfuss argues passionately and convincingly in “One Thought Scares Me…” that a major problem in our educational system is that schools gave up civic education about 50 years ago. I first though the argument was flawed. After all, I think I had a pretty good civic education.
Then I thought about it and said maybe he is right. 50 years ago seemed so far back but then I realized I was in graduate school learning how to be a scientist then. Go back over 60 years and I was a 4th grader learning about the American colonies and why and how they set up a government like none ever seen before: where the people were free and the government instituted to guarantee those freedoms.
Then as I grew and progressed though the grades more detail was added. I don’t think I ever had a course called civics or government but the lessons were instilled in a variety of other courses. I think this is the type of education he is talking about.
The full title is “One Thought Scares Me…: We Teach Our Children What We Wish Them to Know; We Don’t Teach Our Children What We Don’t Wish Them to Know”.
It is a good book for our times. It is a reminder that the ultimate power in the United States is us, all of us (“We the people” are the opening words of our Constitution).
But not participating in our republic allows smaller groups to seize that power. And these are most likely to be more interested in themselves By not teaching our children about our country and it’s government (civics), we fail them. By not knowing civics ourselves, we fail ourselves,
A related item is civility. Americans, and especially many politicians, seem to regard those who disagree with them as the enemy. Instead, those who disagree should discuss issues in a more civil manner and perhaps comprise when possible.
I highly recommend this book. You may or may not agree with everything Dreyfuss says but it is well-worth thinking about.
Then I thought about it and said maybe he is right. 50 years ago seemed so far back but then I realized I was in graduate school learning how to be a scientist then. Go back over 60 years and I was a 4th grader learning about the American colonies and why and how they set up a government like none ever seen before: where the people were free and the government instituted to guarantee those freedoms.
Then as I grew and progressed though the grades more detail was added. I don’t think I ever had a course called civics or government but the lessons were instilled in a variety of other courses. I think this is the type of education he is talking about.
The full title is “One Thought Scares Me…: We Teach Our Children What We Wish Them to Know; We Don’t Teach Our Children What We Don’t Wish Them to Know”.
It is a good book for our times. It is a reminder that the ultimate power in the United States is us, all of us (“We the people” are the opening words of our Constitution).
But not participating in our republic allows smaller groups to seize that power. And these are most likely to be more interested in themselves By not teaching our children about our country and it’s government (civics), we fail them. By not knowing civics ourselves, we fail ourselves,
A related item is civility. Americans, and especially many politicians, seem to regard those who disagree with them as the enemy. Instead, those who disagree should discuss issues in a more civil manner and perhaps comprise when possible.
I highly recommend this book. You may or may not agree with everything Dreyfuss says but it is well-worth thinking about.
February 11, 2023
As an educator whose school board currently is inept, I live this on a daily basis. They have been elected as leaders with no idea how to lead. To quote Mr. Dreyfuss on page 129-30, “if yelling, screaming, and making fun of an opponent’s opinion becomes the norm in the single most-potent utility of information dissemination, is it so terrible? Facebook, for example….After all, it’s more entertaining - that’s for damn sure - than Robert’s Rules of Order or Parliamentary Procedure. Right?” Unfortunately many people agree with Mr. Zuckerberg.
Many no longer, long for DISCUSSION. They want an argument. They do not want to grow or learn…they want to be told they are right, or at least that you are wrong. Mr. Dreyfuss, I would love for you to further address how much social media is causing this decision, and siloing of our society.
I am joining your cause at thedreyfussinitiative.org as soon as I hit submit on this review.
Please keep up the fight.
Many no longer, long for DISCUSSION. They want an argument. They do not want to grow or learn…they want to be told they are right, or at least that you are wrong. Mr. Dreyfuss, I would love for you to further address how much social media is causing this decision, and siloing of our society.
I am joining your cause at thedreyfussinitiative.org as soon as I hit submit on this review.
Please keep up the fight.
March 9, 2023
I will start this by saying, kudos to Mr. Dreyfuss for his concern, and for taking the time to outline his concerns and write a book about them. While impassioned, his arguments come through kind of uneven and flawed. While I didn't fully disagree with his endgame, I did often disagree with the means by which he intends to achieve it. But, to be fair, from the tone of his book, I think he would welcome opposing ideas. So, I don't know that this was the book I hoped it would be, I do appreciate that someone would make the effort to speak up for America.
May 5, 2023
great outlook, ideas,
I agree with all that has been written. I am just disappointed at how all over the place he is. Many chapters of this book just sounded like he was rambling on and on. But we should all heed what he says because it is all true.
I agree with all that has been written. I am just disappointed at how all over the place he is. Many chapters of this book just sounded like he was rambling on and on. But we should all heed what he says because it is all true.
January 17, 2023
Our multi-talented Author, Lecturer, Actor, Producer, Writer, Director, 'Best Actor' Oscar winner, etc., opens this work with reflections upon America's continuing downward spiral into unprecedented realms of ignorance spreading rapidly over the past 50+ years within the secular educational systems throughout the USA. Our author questions: "Are the children of today and the time to come capable of running America when they are called to do so? No. No, they’re not."
With California owning the highest number of illiterates, followed in second place by New York, there remains no surprises as to why elected and appointed government representatives from these states continually, and proudly, display their abundance of ignorance publicly before the camera... “thinking is making my head hurt.”
Whether, as in Mao's China, it is eliminating the 'Rightist' conservative intellectuals, or, as in the WWI-WWII German Empire expansion era, enlisting, as they labeled them, the liberal 'Useful Idiots' through propaganda, the continual curtailing of education and historical-based knowledge and education has its desired results... to return the 'simple' masses to a state of unbridled ignorance - Professing to be wise, they became fools.
"America will cease to exist long before the end of this century. There may be a country called the United States of America, but it will not be the country we have been attached to for so long. The values of our Constitution will be a mockery of our reality. The end game is already upon us. There will not be an American society, however imperfect, unless we relearn how to be that society... If America goes away, what then?" Republican? Democrat? Independent? No... American!
Just how many more 'seasons will unveil themselves before the world's nations' front row seats to the end of the USA will be filled with cheering crowds? Time will tell.
- Additional Excerpts:
"We don’t teach our Constitution anymore. We don’t teach our Bill of Rights... We don’t teach our governance theory... We don’t teach civics either. All these things have been removed from American public schools for over fifty years. Have you felt the consequences of what I just told you? Does it explain a large part of the spiral of decay we all feel in the country today?"
"It is especially absurd to think our children could run this complex country without learning anything about its government first. We can’t fly a plane without training, or practice medicine without attending medical school; then explain how we can send people to Congress who haven’t first learned the workings of government or what powers the Congress has. It’s not really enough to say, 'I’ll learn it once I’m elected.' Sounds wasteful, costly, and fundamentally antidemocratic... Because not teaching civility and the core values of the Enlightenment philosophy that underpin our Constitution and our Bill of Rights is not just brainless but a black hole that sucks intelligent life down and gone."
"First, we don’t live in a democracy. We live in a republic. We live in a republic that allows for democracy. We pledge allegiance to a republic (or used to)."
"A healthy democracy depends on people of unlike minds sharing a political space and the belief that it’s okay to have different opinions. If the only constant in public examination of the issues at hand is that the guy who disagrees with you is an idiot, unworthy to finish his sentence, and deserving only of being demonized or canceled, isn’t that fundamentally antidemocratic? ... Gone is respect for opposing views."
"Obama’s secretary of education... once invited me to attend what they called the Obama administration’s 'university level rollout of civic instruction.' The presentation tried to convince me that public school was not the place for such civic lessons, that only universities were. I listened, then raised my hand when questions were asked for, and said, 'If I am correct, this program should cause students’ respect and love for the Bill of Rights, Constitution, and all that comes with it. But if you wait until students graduate from high school, you are guaranteeing failure... By college they will greet any attempt to inspire love for their system of governance with a middle finger. Bet on it.'”
"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution for the United States of America."
- Food for thought:
"This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom...." A Christmas Carol - Stave 3
"Well, I guess you can cut the arts as much as you want, Gene. Sooner or later, these kids aren't going to have anything to read or write about."
"The big problem here is that you are willing to create a generation of children who will not have the ability to think, create, listen..."
Glenn Holland, Mr. Holland's Opus, Actor: Richard Dreyfuss
"The number of kids that don’t finish high school and don’t want to go to college or don’t finish college—those are all bad signs." -Peter Falk
"Like a house in ruins is wisdom to a fool, and to the ignorant, knowledge is talk that has no meaning." -Sirach 21:18
"No amendment, no amendment to the Constitution is absolute." USA President Biden(D)
"Every nation gets the government it deserves." Joseph Comte de Maistre, French philosopher & counter-revolutionist (April 1,1753-February 26,1821)
- Other works that may be of interest:
America Against America by Wang Huning (1991)
Mafia Democracy: How Our Republic Became a Mob Racket by Michael Franzese (2022)
The Road to Serfdom by Friedrich Hayek (1944)
The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt (1949)
The Seven Liberal Arts, a Study in Mediaeval Culture by Paul Abelson (1878)
With California owning the highest number of illiterates, followed in second place by New York, there remains no surprises as to why elected and appointed government representatives from these states continually, and proudly, display their abundance of ignorance publicly before the camera... “thinking is making my head hurt.”
Whether, as in Mao's China, it is eliminating the 'Rightist' conservative intellectuals, or, as in the WWI-WWII German Empire expansion era, enlisting, as they labeled them, the liberal 'Useful Idiots' through propaganda, the continual curtailing of education and historical-based knowledge and education has its desired results... to return the 'simple' masses to a state of unbridled ignorance - Professing to be wise, they became fools.
"America will cease to exist long before the end of this century. There may be a country called the United States of America, but it will not be the country we have been attached to for so long. The values of our Constitution will be a mockery of our reality. The end game is already upon us. There will not be an American society, however imperfect, unless we relearn how to be that society... If America goes away, what then?" Republican? Democrat? Independent? No... American!
Just how many more 'seasons will unveil themselves before the world's nations' front row seats to the end of the USA will be filled with cheering crowds? Time will tell.
- Additional Excerpts:
"We don’t teach our Constitution anymore. We don’t teach our Bill of Rights... We don’t teach our governance theory... We don’t teach civics either. All these things have been removed from American public schools for over fifty years. Have you felt the consequences of what I just told you? Does it explain a large part of the spiral of decay we all feel in the country today?"
"It is especially absurd to think our children could run this complex country without learning anything about its government first. We can’t fly a plane without training, or practice medicine without attending medical school; then explain how we can send people to Congress who haven’t first learned the workings of government or what powers the Congress has. It’s not really enough to say, 'I’ll learn it once I’m elected.' Sounds wasteful, costly, and fundamentally antidemocratic... Because not teaching civility and the core values of the Enlightenment philosophy that underpin our Constitution and our Bill of Rights is not just brainless but a black hole that sucks intelligent life down and gone."
"First, we don’t live in a democracy. We live in a republic. We live in a republic that allows for democracy. We pledge allegiance to a republic (or used to)."
"A healthy democracy depends on people of unlike minds sharing a political space and the belief that it’s okay to have different opinions. If the only constant in public examination of the issues at hand is that the guy who disagrees with you is an idiot, unworthy to finish his sentence, and deserving only of being demonized or canceled, isn’t that fundamentally antidemocratic? ... Gone is respect for opposing views."
"Obama’s secretary of education... once invited me to attend what they called the Obama administration’s 'university level rollout of civic instruction.' The presentation tried to convince me that public school was not the place for such civic lessons, that only universities were. I listened, then raised my hand when questions were asked for, and said, 'If I am correct, this program should cause students’ respect and love for the Bill of Rights, Constitution, and all that comes with it. But if you wait until students graduate from high school, you are guaranteeing failure... By college they will greet any attempt to inspire love for their system of governance with a middle finger. Bet on it.'”
"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution for the United States of America."
- Food for thought:
"This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom...." A Christmas Carol - Stave 3
"Well, I guess you can cut the arts as much as you want, Gene. Sooner or later, these kids aren't going to have anything to read or write about."
"The big problem here is that you are willing to create a generation of children who will not have the ability to think, create, listen..."
Glenn Holland, Mr. Holland's Opus, Actor: Richard Dreyfuss
"The number of kids that don’t finish high school and don’t want to go to college or don’t finish college—those are all bad signs." -Peter Falk
"Like a house in ruins is wisdom to a fool, and to the ignorant, knowledge is talk that has no meaning." -Sirach 21:18
"No amendment, no amendment to the Constitution is absolute." USA President Biden(D)
"Every nation gets the government it deserves." Joseph Comte de Maistre, French philosopher & counter-revolutionist (April 1,1753-February 26,1821)
- Other works that may be of interest:
America Against America by Wang Huning (1991)
Mafia Democracy: How Our Republic Became a Mob Racket by Michael Franzese (2022)
The Road to Serfdom by Friedrich Hayek (1944)
The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt (1949)
The Seven Liberal Arts, a Study in Mediaeval Culture by Paul Abelson (1878)
July 28, 2023
Achingly relevant as a recently graduated high school student. Dreyfuss’ writing style is incredibly pretentious with many egregious overstatements and hyperboles, but, if his argument is read charitably, deemed necessary.
minus 1 star for borderline romanticization of American founders and lack of expansion on American wrongdoing
minus 1 star for borderline romanticization of American founders and lack of expansion on American wrongdoing
January 26, 2023
Decent and erudite
Coincidentally, the night before I read Mr. Dreyfuss' book, I completed an excellent book on the Scottish Enlightenment, the principles of which he references multiple times in this brief book. It is obvious that my politics do not align with his, yet one of his concerns is that we have lost our ability to engage in civil discourse in the exchange of disparate ideas, so I was unoffended. The crux of the issue is absolutely true: the teaching of Civics in the Enlightenment manner of making it a part of ALL learning has been completely lost. His heart is in the right place. The only obvious answer (besides making it a priority in the home as I did with my children and am doing with my grandchildren) is to press for it to become a priority in the schools again starting in the elementary schools and carrying right through, and his drive to do this is admirable. It is an abomination to me that we send armies of people to high schools to register senior high students to vote and push them to do their "civic duty" when they lack the education to make any kind of informed decision. But the great, unanswered question is ... After two or more generations with not only a complete LACK of proper education in either Civics, American History or Enlightenment Principles - and in many cases a "higher education" stressing hatred and DISDAIN for those very things - where are these TEACHERS going to come from?
Coincidentally, the night before I read Mr. Dreyfuss' book, I completed an excellent book on the Scottish Enlightenment, the principles of which he references multiple times in this brief book. It is obvious that my politics do not align with his, yet one of his concerns is that we have lost our ability to engage in civil discourse in the exchange of disparate ideas, so I was unoffended. The crux of the issue is absolutely true: the teaching of Civics in the Enlightenment manner of making it a part of ALL learning has been completely lost. His heart is in the right place. The only obvious answer (besides making it a priority in the home as I did with my children and am doing with my grandchildren) is to press for it to become a priority in the schools again starting in the elementary schools and carrying right through, and his drive to do this is admirable. It is an abomination to me that we send armies of people to high schools to register senior high students to vote and push them to do their "civic duty" when they lack the education to make any kind of informed decision. But the great, unanswered question is ... After two or more generations with not only a complete LACK of proper education in either Civics, American History or Enlightenment Principles - and in many cases a "higher education" stressing hatred and DISDAIN for those very things - where are these TEACHERS going to come from?
October 13, 2023
Mr. Dreyfuss demonstrates a passion for educating the youth throughout the years of public education in this book. At times his political views showed through, and though I don't agree with many of those views, I do agree with the need to put a true, classic civics curriculum back into schools. As a retired teacher, I know that I often was an outlier in my teaching of history and civics, with a focus on helping my students grow as citizens who understood they were privileged to live in a country of opportunity and with that privilege was a responsibility to be involved in society. The need for teaching civics and for teaching of civility is more critical now than ever, and rather than just give lip service, Mr. Dreyfuss lays out a plan. If you hope for change, work for change. Read this book and share this book.
May 15, 2023
One Thought Scares Me....is a good read. I agree our educational system gave up Civics Education 50 years ago. After all you can tell big time today. If your people are ignorant, you can rule them. It's frightening to see a small group of powerful people trying to seize power. Civility is slowly going away. Politicians, Americans and others if disagree with them you become their enemy. I recommend this book. I may not agree with everything Mr. Dreyfuss writes but his book is worth reading. It will get you thinking.
MJM
MJM
September 9, 2023
Without preening, condescending or making the reader feel dumb, Dreyfuss makes not just a compelling but actionable case for urgent change here. Reading this book made me feel more optimistic and emboldened, in no small measure because it reminds that there are smart, thoughtful people out there like him prepared/willing to do the hard work to finally turn this tide. Nothing I have read in a very long time made me understand, appreciate and celebrate the United States more. An informative and enlightened manifesto.
September 21, 2023
Outstanding ideas and leadership! Our current plight is fraught with fear, ignorance and hate, yet Mr. Dreyfuss clearly illuminates a possible path for all of us to take for a brighter future. This book demonstrates our shortcomings, offering a reason why this occurred, and empowers us to change our relations with each other and the systems we operate under. No matter your political beliefs, this book provides a means for all of us to work together, rather than suffering our current demise of tearing each other down for fun. Well worth the time and price to read!
November 20, 2022
Dreyfuss clearly reveals his love for his country and his contempt for the direction of the current civics discourse—that is—if there is any civil discourse left. I admit, I agree with most of his thought-provoking ideas. Not all, but most. It's a good start. Can we all agree on the Preamble of the Constitution, at least? This is where Dreyfuss hits it out of the park. Democrat? Republican? No. Let's start with American. From there, oh, the possibilities!
May 7, 2023
Richard Dreyfuss’s goal is genuine. His writing in this book to achieve this goal is unfocused, and incomplete. Often his generalizations are too broad and lack details. He describes that Civics has been removed from the educational discourse. I would have liked to read specific examples. I am part of the generation that he describes that was deprived of this type of learning and yet It was a part of my education.
May 19, 2023
Forget party affiliation and start thinking like the Americans we are intended to be.
Bringing back intelligent discourse rooted in a proper education of civics, our founding documents, and the Enlightenment period that influenced the creation of our republic is the only hope we have to truly be called We the People. Dreyfus gets to the heart of the problem and shows our current course is one of constitutional destruction. A must-read for all Americans.
Bringing back intelligent discourse rooted in a proper education of civics, our founding documents, and the Enlightenment period that influenced the creation of our republic is the only hope we have to truly be called We the People. Dreyfus gets to the heart of the problem and shows our current course is one of constitutional destruction. A must-read for all Americans.
March 31, 2023
Interesting read. I agree with the basis of what Dreyfuss is saying, but I don't necessarily agree with all the aspects of how he wants to get from point A to point B. I even had a couple times where I was wondering where he was going with what he was saying in the book. Overall, decent read and thought provoking.
June 25, 2023
Lots of good questions asked. Was hoping to see more action items to combat the sad state of American history being taught in K-12. Everyone should love their country, the good, the bad and the ugly. As Dreyfuss calls out - We the People need to be educated on how the country works and know how to be active participants rather than subjected to elite rules.
August 29, 2023
Mr. Dreyfuss puts forth a compelling argument for the importance of civics education/training beginning in early ecucation. He illustrates the current consequences of the lack of civics education for the past fifty years and the urgency of reinstituting this education. I encourage every American to read this book.
December 12, 2023
Good book to make us We the People remember and where we have strayed. How teaching the civics older people like myself experienced in school the teaching of what our Bill of Rights, Constitution means to all people in this country. It's not too late to help our children & grandchildren understand what civility means.
June 4, 2023
More than one thought scares me!
I truly agree, and I think it is a crime that our children are not being taught a true American history. We all really should get together and figure out how we can get this back into our schools!
I truly agree, and I think it is a crime that our children are not being taught a true American history. We all really should get together and figure out how we can get this back into our schools!
August 28, 2023
While I like the concept and ideas within the book, I found it hard to read. I couldn't bring myself to pick it up and finish it because it was wordy. I agree with what Dreyfuss is saying, it comes across more as a personal opinion. I hope to try and pick it up again someday and try again.
May 6, 2024
The book should have been a pamphlet. The rants went on longer than needed and distracted from the good points that were made. I agree with the majority of his thoughts, but his argument style lacked tact.
April 25, 2023
Mr. Dreyfuss made a few interesting points I hadn’t thought of before, but as a whole, the book was a rambling mess.
May 20, 2023
Thought provoking
I found myself agreeing with the majority of Mr Dreyfus's observations. The country is in desperate need of reasonable discourse.
I found myself agreeing with the majority of Mr Dreyfus's observations. The country is in desperate need of reasonable discourse.
October 17, 2023
Both thought-provoking and chilling. A really important concept--I think everyone should read this book, and then start helping to change the narrative.
April 7, 2024
Mr. Holland is pissed.
April 10, 2023
Young Adult Review
Mr. Dreyfuss has a passion for history and American Civics. He has spent much of his life leaning into studying and understanding the recent changes in elementary education of American history and civics. After researching at Oxford and a personal learning journey, he began to advocate for changes in public civics education.
Dreyfuss takes a bold stand, arguing that courage in learning demands a varied but practical approach to subjects kids learn in school. He argues that a new generation of independent thinkers must learn multiple sides of every story, be open-minded to varied opinions, and be disciplined in developing the ability to communicate ideas with respect and authority. He believes that American Civics and Enlightenment values are foundational to democracy. Please learn these, he argues, to ensure our American republic and civil debate within our communities.
It's super clear in the first chapters that Mr. Dreyfuss is angry. He has strong feelings about the dualistic thinking of the current political system and what we are learning in school. The beauty is in his last chapter, where Dreyfuss provides some original, creative, and valuable solutions to the current educational programs.
It is a brave book that made me think about the importance of history, and civics education.
It's super clear in the first chapters that Mr. Dreyfuss is angry. He has strong feelings about the dualistic thinking of the current political system and what we are learning in school. The beauty is in his last chapter, where Dreyfuss provides some original, creative, and valuable solutions to the current educational programs.
It is a brave book that made me think about the importance of history, and civics education.
Mr. Dreyfuss has a passion for history and American Civics. He has spent much of his life leaning into studying and understanding the recent changes in elementary education of American history and civics. After researching at Oxford and a personal learning journey, he began to advocate for changes in public civics education.
Dreyfuss takes a bold stand, arguing that courage in learning demands a varied but practical approach to subjects kids learn in school. He argues that a new generation of independent thinkers must learn multiple sides of every story, be open-minded to varied opinions, and be disciplined in developing the ability to communicate ideas with respect and authority. He believes that American Civics and Enlightenment values are foundational to democracy. Please learn these, he argues, to ensure our American republic and civil debate within our communities.
It's super clear in the first chapters that Mr. Dreyfuss is angry. He has strong feelings about the dualistic thinking of the current political system and what we are learning in school. The beauty is in his last chapter, where Dreyfuss provides some original, creative, and valuable solutions to the current educational programs.
It is a brave book that made me think about the importance of history, and civics education.
It's super clear in the first chapters that Mr. Dreyfuss is angry. He has strong feelings about the dualistic thinking of the current political system and what we are learning in school. The beauty is in his last chapter, where Dreyfuss provides some original, creative, and valuable solutions to the current educational programs.
It is a brave book that made me think about the importance of history, and civics education.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews