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Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know Paperback – April 12, 1988

by E.D. Hirsch Jr. (Author)

4.4 311 ratings

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A must-read for parents and teachers, this major bestseller reveals how cultural literacy is the hidden key to effective education and presents 5000 facts that every literate American should know.

In this forceful manifesto Professor E. D. Hirsch, Jr., argues that children in the United States are being deprived of the basic knowledge that would enable them to function in contemporary society. They lack cultural literacy: a grasp of background information that writers and speakers assume their audience already has. Even if a student has a basic competence in the English language, he or she has little chance of entering the American mainstream without knowing what a silicon chip is, or when the Civil War was fought. An important work that has engendered a nationwide debate on our educational standards, Cultural Literacy is a required reading for anyone concerned with our future as a literate nation.

From the Inside Flap

In this forceful manifesto, Hirsch argues that children in the U.S. are being deprived of the basic knowledge that would enable them to function in contemporary society. Includes 5,000 essential facts to know.

From the Back Cover

In this forceful manifesto, Hirsch argues that children in the U.S. are being deprived of the basic knowledge that would enable them to function in contemporary society. Includes 5,000 essential facts to know.

About the Author

E. D. Hirsch, Jr. is the author of several acclaimed books on education issues, including the bestseller Cultural Literacy. With his subsequent books The Schools We Need and Why We Don’t Have Them, The Knowledge Deficit, The Making of Americans, and Why Knowledge Matters, Dr. Hirsch solidified his reputation as one of the most influential education reformers of our time. Dr. Hirsch is the founder of the Core Knowledge Foundation and professor emeritus of education and humanities at the University of Virginia. He lives in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Print length

272 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Vintage
Publication date

April 12, 1988
Dimensions

5.28 x 0.72 x 7.92 inches
ISBN-10

0394758439
ISBN-13

978-0394758435
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage; 1st edtion edition (April 12, 1988)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0394758439
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0394758435
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.28 x 0.72 x 7.92 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #192,416 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #617 in Cultural Anthropology (Books)
- #1,910 in Education Theory (Books)
- #14,976 in Reference (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.4 311 ratings

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E. D. Hirsch
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E. D. Hirsch, Jr. is the founder of the Core Knowledge Foundation and professor emeritus of education and humanities at the University of Virginia. He is the author of several acclaimed books on education issues including the best-seller Cultural Literacy. With his subsequent books The Schools We Need and Why We Don’t Have Them, The Knowledge Deficit, and The Making of Americans, Dr. Hirsch solidified his reputation as one of the most influential education reformers of our time.
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Joseph F. Kett
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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5

311 global ratings

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TM Conway

For EVERY home bookshelf

Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2022

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I read this years ago and it left such an impression on me that I became an autodidact (self-taught) person. This book reminds us that learning shouldn't stop when we leave school.

This book is described as the "manifesto" and I think of "The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy" as the handbook. I used this book to motivate myself (and my family members). The "Dictionary" is where I started with my learning journey. I'm still learning 16 years after reading the first book.

If you don't want to start with this one, do start with the Dictionary. I recommend that one as something to give to a reluctant learner; someone who might not want to read a more scholarly type work as this one.

Get this for yourself or to help the young people in your family discover learning beyond the school walls. Every well-rounded person will want to read this book and the others that have followed.

When recommending this book in past years, I told people it shows not why Johnny can't learn but why Johnny doesn't want to learn. This book will make Johnny, Sally, or anyone want to learn.

2 people found this helpful

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GG

Very important now

Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2017

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This is one of the few books I have recommended to and referenced in discussions with people multiple times over the last couple of decades. Incredibly important, and prescient. It is about how our common references, and common values - as a multicultural, multiethnic, multieverything American society - have declined, along with our understanding of and ability to communicate with each other. At one time, a person - regardless of where the person, or his or her ancestors came from - would acquire or assume certain common American values and a basic knowledge of what it means to be an American, and our unique culture. This allowed us to bond with each other as Americans, and have a dedication to building a better American society together, more aligned with our stated core values. This common understanding of what it meant to be an American (which was provided, at a minimum, by a common knowledge of civics, but also common education in cultural topics, literature, music) has been declining, along with our ability to understand and recognize ourselves as a people. The book reviews a number of common topics (for example, in history, and government) that all Americans should know, and that will help us continue to identify, bond, and work together, as Americans, to be the best American society that we can be.

4 people found this helpful

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George E. Smith

MOST IMPORTANT BOOK I'VE READ ...

Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2018

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Hirsch's Cultural Literacy is simply the most important book I've read during my professional career. While the appendix (What Literate Americans Know) has drawn some criticisms of (WASP, gender) bias, the summaries of various research findings & other seminal works provide a solid base for his conclusions. As a college professor, I've been able to adapt many of his principles to my learning environment. Some chapters are a bit dry, but nonetheless well researched & well written. I've actually presented copies of this seminal Hirsch work to more than 50 friends, students, colleagues, etc. I contend that anyone planning a career in education needs to add this book to their professional library.

29 people found this helpful

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Hoke

Not what I expected but OK

Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2006

Verified Purchase

First off I think some reviewers are giving people the wrong idea of what this book has to offer. I think they meant to review the Dictionary of Cultural Literacy and not this book. After reading some of their reviews I purchased this book and it is not exactly what they led me to believe it was.

This book is made up of essentially two parts. The first part Hirsch put forth his theory that Americans are losing their ability to communicate effectively because they are lacking a common knowledge on certain core items. He sites back when people had a more standard education and were forced to read more because of a lack of television they were more commonly grounded in the same types of information.

To explain this theory simply he illustrates giving directions in a city when people assume you are a native to that city. The directions are simple because it is assumed one is familiar with certain landmarks (core knowledge). When giving directions to someone the believe to be a tourist, the directions get a lot more detailed because these people presumably lack the same knowledge of landmarks (core knowledge).

It is a very interesting theory and he backs it up with a lot of research. This book would be of great interest to anyone that is an educator by profession. It might be a little boring to anyone else. Some people have commented that this is a very conservative or right-leaning book. I really don't see that at all. He looks at this theory from the perspective of other cultures as well and the theory holds up. He does say that things people need to know to be culturally literate are often based on Western culture. This is true for the most part. He should not be vilified for pointing out the obvious. He doesn't say that one society is better than another. He just acknowledges that people of different cultures tend to have knowledge of certain things and that it is helpful to be familiar with those items.

The second part is an extensive list of cultural knowledge that experts have agreed on 90% of the time to be relevant. This is only a list. In no way does it define them or elaborate on them. That is what is supposedly spelled out in the Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, the book I thought I was getting.

If you are an educator or interested in educating get this book. If you are interested in getting an education then skip this one.

159 people found this helpful

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Michelle B

Great product and service

Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2022

Verified Purchase

Great product and service

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Alexandra Cossio

Excelente

Reviewed in Mexico on March 31, 2019

Verified Purchase

Excelente.

surender partap

Decent

Reviewed in India on November 10, 2018

Verified Purchase

Not so useful for exam

Amazon Customer

Despite the fact that the book is written some 20 years ago I think every parent or teacher should have this book on their shelv

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 8, 2016

Verified Purchase

Despite the fact that the book is written some 20 years ago I think every parent or teacher should have this book on their shelves. I personally feel that it does not matter that the book is geared towards the American reader, most of it is useful for all audiences. Well researched text documenting the decline of classical education rendering contemporary education deficient in some aspects of cultural literacy. Great book as it addresses why the author has come to this conclusion and how we as parents and educators may redress the balance.

I loved it and have already put into practice some of the recommendations of this book.

Mr D J Paul

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 1, 2017

Verified Purchase

Makes you think - painfully!

Amazon Customer

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 21, 2017

Verified Purchase

Great

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