Twenty-odd years ago, Richard Mitchell, a professor at New Jersey’s Glassboro State College, set out on a quixotic pursuit: the rescue of the English language and the minds of those attached to the world by it. Donning cape and mask as “The Underground Grammarian,” Mitchell sallied forth upon his newsletter against the nonsense being spoken, written, and, indeed, encouraged by the educational establishment. (“One thing led to another,” as he tells it, “a front page piece in The Wall Street Journal, a proÞle in Time, and other such. Before it was over, The Underground Grammarian came to be, in the world of desktop printing, the Þrst publication to have subscribers on every continent except Antarctica.”) What began as a vivid catalog of ignorance and inanity in the written work of professional educators and their hapless students soon became an enterprise of most noble moment: an investigation, via mordant wit and Þerce intelligence, of “what we might usefully decide to mean by ‘education.’” The results of Mitchell’s inquiries are as stimulating today as they were when Þrst articulated. His project remains a telling explication of how, through writing, we discover thought and make knowledge. It is certainly the most drolly entertaining.
The Graves of Academe
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36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ever wonder about the death of education in America?,
By Gerald Ladmirault (New Orleans, LA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Graves of Academe (Paperback)
This is by far one of the most important books written this century. It goes into detail about not only what is wrong with "education" in this country, but also what the causes are, and who is responsible. It is usually quoted in contemporary books on American education (e.g., _Dumbing Down Our Kids_ by Charles J. Sykes) because it is, simply, just that good. I first came across this book in a college library; someone had begun to underline all the sentences in which Mitchell made a good point, and had to stop, because they were underlining virtually every word. Not only is the content a wondrous gift, but the style brilliantly exemplifies economy, biting wit, and a high level of information density. If only all books were this good!
30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Professor Versus the Education Establishment,
By George Leef (Raleigh, NC) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Graves of Academe (Paperback)
There is almost nothing so valuable as a book that shows that the emperor is wearing no clothes. In The Graves of Academe, Professor Richard Mitchell performs that feat. His emperor is the American education establishment which incessantly struts and proclaims its importance and dedication to the welfare of children. Mitchell, however, shows it to be a pompous fraud that miseducates children while consuming ever more tax dollars. As college professors will attest and international tests show, American kids are less and less able to do academic work. Mitchell explains why: We have adopted a mandatory system of teacher training that fills the heads of prospective teachers with faddish educational theories but leaves them clueless about actual subjects. Mitchell writes with wit, verve, and unconcealed contempt for the education "professionals" whom he indicts for dumbing down millions of American children. If you'd like to know why so many young people can't make change for a dollar or struggle to read the comics, this is the book for you.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a must read for all parents,
By Classical Mom (The Left Coast) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Graves of Academe (Paperback)
If you want to know why Johnny not only can't read but also can't think or can't care for anyone but himself, this book will tell you. Richard Mitchell gives us an insiders view of why it is more important to the schools that our children have condoms and know when to use them than that they be able think clearly enough to understand political double-speak and vote intelligently.
If you are looking for answers for the entire system, you won't find them here. Mitchell knows all too well that there is absolutely no hope for reform. Although his last line does indicate that he hoped things would change, that line was written nearly 20 years ago and things have only gotten worse. Your child's only hope is for you to read this book and become interested in helping him learn to think for himself.
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