Death at an Early Age (Plume) [Paperback]

Jonathan Kozol (Author), Robert Coles (Preface)

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Plume (October 1, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452262925
• ISBN-13: 978-0452262928
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #30,783 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jonathan Kozol has been awarded the National Book Award and the Robert F. Kennedy Award. His book Savage Inequalities was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and became a national bestseller.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars powerful statement about education, March 8, 2000

By 

Erica L. Andersen "melvin990" (NY, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Death at an Early Age (Plume) (Paperback)

This is a wonderful book for anyone interested in education, children, learning, or human rights issues. Kozol describes the horrible treatement of mostly black children in the 1960's Boston public schools. This book is by no means outdated, as I believe that schools continue to reinforce gender and racial stereotypes and squelch a child's natural love for learning.

20 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Read This Book!, October 28, 2006

By 

Katherine E. Zuckerman "AN INJURY TO ONE IS A... (Boise, ID) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Death at an Early Age (Plume) (Paperback)

If you do not want to consider the injustice of schooling in America, not just public schooling, do not read this book. I first read it when I was a beginning teacher and "Death at an Early Age" affected my entire 32 year teaching career. In the age of "No Child Left Behind," we refuse to realize that school reflects the entire society in which we live. The PURPOSE of education is no longer (if it ever was) to give every child a fair chance. Education is the first of many sorting systems to make sure that nobody escapes the social class into which they are born. Because school is competitive, every "concerned parent" with the resources to do it makes sure that their own child gets an extra edge, even if all children were getting the same education at school. If you read this book, it might infect you with the desire to make sure that, not only is "No Child Left Behind," but that every child really has a fair chance. You might start trying to make sure that every child can learn and grow to be the adult he/she could be if born to the wealthiest family in America. Teaching under the influence of this book could become an endless struggle to address the inequities of this world.

19 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars more honest than the rest, February 18, 2001

By 

K (Cherry Hill, NJ) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Death at an Early Age (Plume) (Paperback)

i've read a lot of kozol over the years - often he strikes me as too popularized, forsaking an unbiast view in order to pull the wool off the eyes of the public. however, kozol hits the nail on the head with this one. his portrayal of inner city schools in boston is heartfelt and nicely supported with information concerning the civil rights movement. if you're planning on reading kozol, read this one or his latest. if you're interested in the roots of the move to fix urban schools, this is the begining of a long list of books about the subject - and it depicts the need for change in a catchy, gut wrenching way.