Anyone interested in German history in particular and European history in general should read it.
The Shrike Send a noteboard - 05/02/2010 08:47:14 PM
1. Are there any books that should ever be censored? If so, why? If so, which ones? Who should decide what books are censored and for whom?
I don't think any book should ever be censored.
2. Should any books be withheld from libraries in high schools? If so, why? If so, which ones? Who should decide what books are withheld?
Again, no books should be withheld.
3. Name five books (aside from religious works) that you think have had a massive impact on the world, and at least one that is frequently overlooked on lists of that sort.
1. The Communist Manifesto
2. The Analects of Confucius I am counting this as a non-religious text
3. The Wealth of Nations
4. Iliad/Odyssey Counting them as one long one.
5. The Prince
And one that is often overlooked? It may be a passing fad, but they keep coming back so the book that influenced much of today's preoccupation with them. Dracula
4. Do you think any of the books you listed in point 3 should be read in schools as mandatory reading? Why or why not?
All of them. Why? Because they are all vastly influential in explaining our own Greco-Roman heritage, the heritage of East Asia, and the basis for our modern economic system.
5. Name five books (aside from religious works) that you think SHOULD be mandatory reading in schools (or at least "on the curriculum" if you don't like the word "mandatory"), and why.
See above.
6. Do you think schools are too careful in choosing books due to pressure from those who would censor the curriculum? If so, which sorts of books do you feel are unjustly censored?
Economic works are not properly focused on.
7. Do you think schools place too much emphasis on particular themes or ideas when choosing their curriculum? If so, which ones?
Too much political correctness. We need more study on religions. Plural. Discuss and compare and contrast the world's religious, the books they are based on, and the political and cultural milieus they currently inhabit.
8. Are there any authors you would remove from school curricula who are presently well-represented? Why?
J.D. Salinger, Jane Austen
9. Are there any authors not represented that you would like to see added generally? Why?
Hmm. None that I can think of.
10. Is there ONE book (aside from religious works) that you think EVERYONE should read? If so, what book and why?
My works listed above.
This message last edited by The Shrike on 05/02/2010 at 10:13:13 PM
Censorship, promotion of books and dissemination of ideas.
- 05/02/2010 05:15:17 PM
1534 Views
Tough Subject, censorship
- 05/02/2010 07:24:39 PM
1042 Views
I think I would be worried if a school had more than one copy of Mein Kampf
- 06/02/2010 06:30:08 PM
941 Views
I was mostly just using it as an example, since it was what the article talked about
- 06/02/2010 10:20:08 PM
981 Views
I actually ran into this in high school.
- 05/02/2010 08:33:10 PM
1179 Views
I found that we covered a lot about American Indian issues in US History.
- 06/02/2010 06:23:16 PM
962 Views
Anyone interested in German history in particular and European history in general should read it.
- 05/02/2010 08:47:14 PM
1135 Views
I think jane austen and the brontes would be good to leave in
- 06/02/2010 03:44:10 AM
866 Views
I read a great number of books I don't necesarily agree with, so I'm on your side.
- 06/02/2010 06:19:21 PM
959 Views
Hmm.
- 05/02/2010 09:11:13 PM
1004 Views
It's interesting that many of the most influential books are hardly ever read.
- 06/02/2010 06:15:19 PM
937 Views
Love the survey.
- 05/02/2010 09:42:29 PM
1150 Views
Interesting. Do you really think that Nineteen Eighty-Four is plausible?
- 06/02/2010 10:13:56 AM
957 Views
Re: Censorship, promotion of books and dissemination of ideas.
- 05/02/2010 11:09:41 PM
1106 Views
Re: Censorship, promotion of books and dissemination of ideas.
- 05/02/2010 11:47:08 PM
1092 Views
I agree with most of that. But to quote our eminent Camilla...
- 06/02/2010 10:30:15 AM
1074 Views
Re: I agree with most of that. But to quote our eminent Camilla...
- 06/02/2010 12:25:37 PM
994 Views
I agree on the Shakespeare (and mentioned that below).
- 06/02/2010 05:54:50 PM
961 Views
Re: I agree on the Shakespeare (and mentioned that below).
- 06/02/2010 06:05:48 PM
1075 Views
I don't think high school students need to discuss possibilities for staging.
- 07/02/2010 01:36:03 AM
900 Views
nice post
- 06/02/2010 01:27:23 AM
949 Views
Re: nice post
- 06/02/2010 01:29:34 AM
942 Views
A lot of people think von Clausewitz is important.
- 06/02/2010 05:51:44 PM
872 Views
More than Sun Tzu? *NM*
- 06/02/2010 08:31:44 PM
358 Views
Sun Zi was relatively unknown in the West until recently.
- 07/02/2010 01:30:06 AM
920 Views
Sure, but he could still have influenced world history by influencing Asia... *NM*
- 07/02/2010 01:35:17 AM
390 Views
Doubtful.
- 07/02/2010 01:41:01 AM
950 Views
In many ways, books are like automobiles or power tools...
- 06/02/2010 11:08:01 AM
1120 Views
The interesting thing, to my mind, is that the BBC article talks about "Lebensraum".
- 06/02/2010 04:46:34 PM
926 Views
And nary a thing about Alois Hitler, no?
- 06/02/2010 05:52:50 PM
1136 Views
- 06/02/2010 05:52:50 PM
1136 Views
I have yet to see a literature teacher in schools teach history through literature.
- 07/02/2010 01:33:57 AM
960 Views
But yet I know several history teachers who have done this
- 07/02/2010 10:38:49 AM
1077 Views
Viewing history through a literary prism is usually an injustice to the study of history.
- 07/02/2010 03:16:30 PM
1027 Views
No, the opposite: viewing literature through historical lens is what I'm interested in
- 07/02/2010 03:31:04 PM
1003 Views
Hmm.
- 06/02/2010 11:33:02 PM
986 Views
I will answer yiour survey but may I ask a question first? What did you think of Steinbeck?
- 07/02/2010 06:20:52 AM
906 Views
The Grapes of Wrath was required in Sophomore English in HS. And I loved it.
- 07/02/2010 03:25:55 PM
993 Views

