Classic, ground-breaking book for educators and parents - on the common, cultural knowledge we all need for successful reading, living in our culture: basic history, geography, art, politics, literature

For me, the best part of this book is the many-paged Appendix:
What Literate Americans Know.
Almost a fun party game to read through/quiz each other: friends, family...OK, maybe a step too far, but these pages are so interesting to me.

Sending to BC/on-line bookgroup friend gensparkie.

Looks like an interesting book and I am looking forwarf to reading this! I too scanned the list at the back and was relieved to find I knew what much of it was all about (whew!). LOL.

I liked the back of this book, with the lists of things that every American should know, and enjoyed seeing how much I shared with the rest of America.

But the rest of the book was written in kind of a dry, clinical style I felt, and I skimmed it. This just doesn't hold up to the current narrative non-fiction craze, which allows normal people to find out about info in an interesting and experience based way. I felt like I was in a classroom, and I don't care for that feeling when I read. I like to feel that I am in a room with a fascinating person or living in interesting experience.

The book also felt rather dated. Maybe the author should write a follow-up, because this is a really interesting topic!