5 comments about Anna and the King of Siam.

1. "How old shall you be?"
   "I am 150 years old, your Majesty."
   "In what year shall you be borned?"
   "Seventeen hundred and twelve, your Majesty."
   "How many years should you be married?"
   "Several, your Majesty."
   Pause.
   "How many grandchildren shall you have by now? How many? How many? How many? Ha! You do not answer that so quick. I make better questions than you answers, hmm?" (pages 58-59)
   
   This is Mrs. Anna Leonowens (an English governess's) first introduction to the eccentric 59-year-old King of Siam, King Mongkut, in the 1860s. Margaret Landon's `Anna and the King of Siam' is an intriguing, historical tale based on ancient, Siamese records and the secret diaries, letters, and conversations of Anna in Bangkok that reads like fiction but is amazingly genuine [some parts]. Anna, along with her six-year-old-son Louis, embark on an erratic odyssey through a foreign land of a cryptic culture that will, in a few months, become traditional to them. Yet there are some seemingly barbaric issues to be cleared up. Among them are slavery, the King's concubines in the harem, and the unjust treatment of several subjects. While Anna may have altercations with the King, she comes to revere his intellectual methods of attempting to create Siam a scientific nation in modern times but expresses severe criticism on needless occasions. As a governess, her duties are to instruct the royal children (of which there are more than 67; however, only the eldest participate) and aid the King in composing extraordinary letters to renowned world leaders, such as Abraham Lincoln and Queen Victoria. Prince Chulalongkorn, Anna's most prominent and smartest pupil, is heir to the throne on account of being the eldest; she attempts to steer him onto the positive path of ruling the country justly. Also bestowing color to Anna's experiences, including misadventures, other than irrelevant talks with the King on that of Moses and ethics is a cast of supporting characters: Tuptim (the slave), Lady Thiang (the King's head wife), Lady Son Klin, and countless others. Across Anna's remembrances, a message is conveyed: despite one's differences they must master the skill of understanding the outsiders and point them to salvation, excluding falsehood by supplanting it with truthfulness. 'Anna and the King of Siam' is a fascinating web of Siam's (now Thailand's) superb past filled with rich descriptions for a journey neither the reader or Anna will let sink into oblivion even until the breaking end. --P.J. Persad



2. I can only adequately describe this book as dull and downright boring. Historically it needs to be taken with a grain of salt, although I accept that some of it is pertinent. As Jodie Foster's character in the recent remake of this saga posits, "England's ways are the ways of the world." Landon, with fervent missionary bent in hand, shouldn't have stayed in Thailand for so long given her contempt for their way of life.

   Ultimately the books so called historical authenticity is the very thing you question. The idea of underground torture chambers or cellars, granted that Bangkok is at best marshy swamp and 6m above sea level, is ludicrous. And we are talking about the area of ratanakosin, one of Bangkok's lowest points vis-a-via the water. Also, did Landon not bother to look at Siamese history prior to her arrival and reposit the politics of the harem against contemporary Siamese history? Was she so blind to the success of Mongkut, and certainly Chulalongkorn, not to question the integrity of what Leonowens (a reinvented woman, if ever there was one) was writing?

   The book just drags on about the role of women (a worthy issue nontheless) and the perfidous Siamese. It doesn't offer any insights into why the Siamese are this way, supposedly, and it smacks of neurotic Christo-centric 19th century morality, which bugs the hell out of most people. I can only reiterate that its ugly moralism and at times, often poor narrative, kill what could have otherwise been an interesting read.

   Save your money and don't get the latest cinematic representation regardless of how well dressed up it might seem.




3. "Anna and the King of Siam" is really a great book. Even though a lot of this story is fictional and based on some facts, its still fascinating. The book is very in depth, with a lot of detail. The story does become dull at times, particulary after Tuptim's death, but the book still picks up again. It was interesting to see how many more characters there are, their weren't used in all the movies of this story.

   This book is definetly a great book for anyone interested in finding out more of the story of Anna and the King.




4. I really liked this book because it was really exciting. I also liked how it taught you about different traditions and religious beliefs. I have never read another book that took place in Siam, so that was really interesting. I liked how when after someone said something in the language that people in Siam speak, they would also print in English what they were saying. Anna the main character's, bravery and courage was great. I admire how she could stand up to a king without being scared.
   
   The story is about a widowed school teacher from England who travels to Siam to teach the king's son and Prince Chuklalonkorn along with his many brothers and sisters. The king's many children are eager to start their lessons, as is Anna, but little did they know that they would become more like friends than like a school teacher and her young pupils. In the beginning Anna and the king are always bickering and disagreeing with each other, but they too, soon become friends.
   
   I think that anyone who is interested in adventure should read this book. This book is for someone who loves to learn new things such as languages, religions and or monks because one of the Ladies in the palace is in love with a monk named Balat. The king also travels to different places for business and sometimes has dinner parties that involve people from different places. If I could be in Anna's place that would be great.
   I think that is a great adventure!



5. This is a wonderful read - I've read it several times. The descriptions of Siam (Thailand) are very vivid and the characters are well drawn.
   
   One word of warning - this isn't really a biography. The author said something like, it was 75% fact and 25% fiction based on fact. Abbot Low Moffat, in his biography Mongkut the King of Siam (which I also heartily recommend), thought that Ms. Landon was a bit generous of her assessment of the veracity. Moffat claims that Anna Leonowens own books, written to support her family, are exaggerated and include falsehoods.
   
   I don't think that I would have liked this as well if I had known what I know now. Still, a classic novel, and one well worth reading with that caveat. Since Siam is now Thailand, it is easier to imagine this as being wholly imaginative and not describing a real place.

5 comments about Jack: A Life of C. S. Lewis.

1. I have often expressed my love of biographies. I consider them to be among the most helpful of resources in helping equip Christians in their lifelong quest for Christ-likeness. We can learn much from the examples of those who have run the race before us. We can learn from what God taught them, learn from their triumphs and learn from the times they were defeated. I have a passion for biographies. I also have a passion for the English language. I love to see how we can use the language to craft works of art. I cannot express myself in the fine arts - music and art are both disciplines that escape me. But I consider myself a wordsmith-in-training. These two loves come together in Jack, a biography of C.S. Lewis written by a veritable master of the English language.
   
   George Sayer had what was probably a unique privilege - he met C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien at the same time. He studied English under the tutelage of both of these men while at Oxford University. He became friends with Lewis, growing closer as they grew older. As a friend he provides a unique perspective on what is surely a unique individual.
   
   I have never had the interest in and respect for C.S. Lewis that so many Christians afford him. Perhaps it is that I tend to see in black and white. Lewis exemplified some of the best and yet some of the worst in his understanding of Christianity. It seems that for every major doctrine he so brilliantly defended, there was another that he denied. For every brilliant insight there is a terrible oversight.
   
   Jack provides a glimpse into Lewis' life. This, combined with penetrating analysis from one who knew him well, makes this biography not only fascinating, but very credible. Sayer covers all of the foundational parts of Lewis' life - the death of his mother, his education, his infatuation with Mrs. Moore and his conversion to Christianity. The author looks also at most of Lewis' major writings. Having spent so much time with his subject, Sayer is even able to describe an average day in the life of C.S. Lewis - just the type of detail that is interesting, but is absent from most biographies.
   
   The detail, while interesting and often even necessary, is sometimes almost uncomfortable. Sayers goes so far as to detail Lewis' personal struggles with masturbation and fantasy as a youth, and his later fascination with his wife's body. Yet he does this not merely for the sake of being explicit, but always to help us better understand Lewis. He seeks to help the reader understand Lewis not just as an author, but as a person. He wants to show Lewis in the good times as well as the bad. He seeks to show Lewis as he really was.
   
   Thoroughly-researched and exquisitely-written, this is a brilliant biography of a figure whose importance to Christianity seems to be growing, even forty years after his death. With a major movie series coming to theatres beginning this year, we will surely hear a lot more about Lewis than ever before. While many biographies have been written about him, I would have trouble believing any could be better than this. No matter your opinion of the man himself, Jack, as a book, is a gem; a jewel; an absolute triumph.



2. This is a fitting tribute to the life, works and last days of an author who changed many lives through his writings. His MERE CHRISTIANITY reached out to non-Christians and showed them the way to a better life. But, I think he will best be remembered for the magical world of Narnia he created for children. He'd been born Clive Staples Lewis on November 29, 1898. In 1998, a series of special commemorative stamps was issued, "Magical World," featuring THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE. In about two and a half months, the eagerly awaited movie, 'Narnia,' will be in the Regal theaters nationwide and will gather more fans for Jack (C.S.) Lewis.
   
   A musical portrait of his life toured Britain during 1998. Even Hamley's. England's toy shop, hosted a special one-hundredth birthday party in honor of this prodigious writer. It is sad that only fifty people attended his funeral toward the end of November, 1963. On his tombstone is engraved "Men ust endure their going hence" which had been on the Shakespeare Calendar the day his mother died. At a little past 5:30 p.m. on the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated, Jack gave up the ghost after two or three years of terrible pain from prostate cancer. So, in the passing of C. S. Lewis, all the world's eyes were on their television sets watching the events in Dallas, Texas, play out as Oswald purportedly killed the United States president.
   
   Autumn had always been Jack's favorite season so it is fitting that he ends his life in happiness. October's bright blue sky, even in England of 1960, was lovely as were the beeches which were in their "full glory of gold, russet, and amber." Keats called autumn "the close-bosomed friend of the maturing sun." That year, the hawthorne bushes were full of crimson haws, and the wild roses were loaded with hips. He came to Cambridge in 1962 to lecture and to finish his last book THE DISCARDED IMAGE. He was in the autmn of his life but he was enjoying an Indian Summer. He'd just finished SURPRISED BY JOY and his book A GRIEF OBSERVED after she died. Yes, he loved the American woman who entered his life so unexpectedly. He also wrote letters of encouragement for some time to an other American woman.
   
   His enduring legacy is the gift his readers receive, that 'sliver of wonder,' which enables them to see beyond the imaginary world to the living God. The lion in the 'Narnia' books was made to appear as Christ-like as he could manage. April is probably the best loved month in Western Europe, as it is here in Knoxville, Tennessee, our beautiful "Dogwood" celebration. Shakespear wrote of "proud-pied April, dressed in all its trim." In April, there is a revitalization of the earth as the birds sing their joyous songs for all to hear. The forget-me-nots are in bloom, and spring green covers the fields. My favorite time of year is the Spring with all of the pastel colors and the feel of life returning after a long winter's sleep.
   
   He was the precursor to all of the inspiration and self-help books which now abound. He had divine inspiration at times, but he was also human. A man with feelings and empathy toward others.



3. C. S. Lewis is one of the most well known Christians in modern history. I've read a couple of books about his relationship with Joy Davidman, so I figured it was time to check out a biography that spotlighted Mr. Lewis' entire life. "Jack" (Lewis' nickname) had the most accolades, so after warming up with the lighter fare of "Jack's Life" by his stepson, I dove into this book.
   
   George Sayer is a former student of Mr. Lewis', and he delivers a fascinating portrait of his mentor from birth to death. He also provides context by detailing the national background, family life, and period of history that shaped Jack. In addition, Mr. Sayer discusses a number of Jack's books, the creative process he used, and how the public initially received them (including book reviewers). Despite his distinguished academic credentials, the author writes in a manner accessible to the layman reader. I never felt bogged down, or condescended to, by his writing style.
   
   Some have accused the author of sugarcoating C. S. Lewis' life. Yes, Mr. Sayer wrote as a friend, and therefore wasn't out to write a sordid expose. But neither does he claim that Jack peed rosewater. For example, I had no idea that Mr. Lewis struggled with sadomasochistic fantasies and masturbation as a young man. He also smoked and drank quite heavily, habits that many churches don't hold in high esteem. In addition, the author doesn't shy away from discussing some of the charges against Mr. Lewis' character, such as the possibility of a homosexual relationship with his lifelong friend Arthur, and whether or not he and Mrs. Moore were lovers. I'm not sure what kind of dirt would erase the charge of whitewashing, but I felt that Mr. Sayer made Jack appear pretty down-to-earth. That is, except for Jack's statement that sexual fantasy can be "fairly easily overcome with prayer and fasting (p. 415)." The "fairly easily" part is a bit much for me to swallow (or perhaps a bit too convicting for comfort).
   
   Along those lines, I was intrigued, and a bit confused, by one aspect of Mr. Lewis' character: his distain for introspection and fantasizing. Jack considered heroic and romantic fantasy to be counterproductive, because in his eyes their self-centered focus prevented one from obtaining renown and love in real life. He even wrote a poem, "Dymer," that illustrated the dangers of forsaking reality for a dream world. As for introspection, he felt it was a danger to one's mental health. However, many of his works prompt readers toward both pitfalls. I couldn't help being somewhat introspective after reading "The Great Divorce" and "The Screwtape Letters." And who hasn't fantasized about charging into battle at Aslan's side while immersed in the Chronicles of Narnia? Of all Lewis' views, this is the one I'd like to investigate further because of my own disposition towards navel-gazing and daydreaming. Jack's views on the consequences of these actions are especially relevant in an age where pornography is a mouse click away, and one can live life vicariously through reality shows and online computer games.
   
   An unexpected result of reading this book was that I gained a greater interest in the life of Jack's older brother Warren. Both "Jack's Life" and "Jack" paint Warren as a tragic figure who did not live up to his potential. Yes, he was a raging alcoholic whose ambition did not equal Jack's. But considering that Warren served as an army officer in both World Wars, had a number of books published, and helped organize his brother's chaotic schedule, I can't help feeling that both authors were a bit hard on him. Perhaps he could've done better, but he also might've turned out a lot worse. I've always had a soft spot for the underdog.
   
   At any rate, I came away from "Jack" with more respect for C. S. Lewis as a person and a Christian. He's more accessible to me now, and I have a better appreciation for his ideas. And the insights into his character have challenged me to examine and evaluate my own shortcomings. I recommend that you read this book in conjunction with "C.S. Lewis & Francis Schaeffer: Lessons for a New Century from the Most Influential Apologists of Our Time," by Scott R. Burson and Jerry L. Walls. It provides a portrait of Lewis' doctrinal positions that might surprise you (as it did me).



4. It has been said that a great biography requires that the biographer respect and love his subject. Sayer certainly meets that requirement. As a friend and former student of Lewis', he is able to offer unique anecdotes and a personal perspective to illuminate his subject. He is also a student of literature, so that he is able to comment on Lewis' work in a professional and sometimes incisive manner. I particularly enjoyed the fact that he includes an Afterword in which he answers the most common questions he has received as one of Lewis' principal biographers. He also includes information which does not always reflect favorably on Lewis. While he loves Lewis the book is not idolatrous. He sees him as a living, breathing, flawed, but wonderful human being. My only problem with the book lies in the fact that Sayer does not linger over dates. From time to time the reader has to reconstruct the narrative by repositioning the book's events within specific years and decades. This is not a major problem, but it is a problem. All in all, this is an engaging study of an engaging subject. Highly recommended.



5. Insightful. Not as flattering and complimentary as it could have been considering the relationship of the writer to the subject, which is good. Well written, a good read. well worth the money.

5 comments about The Great Expectations School: A Rookie Year in the New Blackboard Jungle.

1. Beware this is not Dan Brown the auther of "The Da Vinci Code". Different people!!!!!!!!!



2. You gotta sing as you kick them, that's the message of the 20th century. The low expectations of the "Great Expectations School" stand out, but the author persuades us that all is not lost. This author goes a long way toward adding some realism back into the great fantasy known as "all children can learn." When you stop laughing at that, let the author's humor take you even further into the nightmare of public education. Wit is one of the first things to go when you enter this profession. Brown's possession of it is the first sign that this guy wasn't born to be a teacher but rather an observer and commentator. So be it, his astute observations bring out the best and the worst of finest prison system known to man, the New York Public Schools.



3. As a teacher and administrator who has worked in urban schools for almost thirty years, I was amazed at how Dan Brown's experiences and his roller coaster of emotions resonated with me. While I entered the profession at a different time, I always wonder how new teachers like Dan Brown are able to walk into one of today's urban classrooms and teach with confidence and skill. With candor, and at times with humor, Dan Brown's memoir captures the sad truth of public education in urban districts. Kudos to all those teachers and administrators who dedicate themselves to improving the lives of the children who attend these schools, in spite of all the internal and external obstacles. Thank you, Dan Brown, for writing about your experience as "a rookie teacher in the blackboard jungle."



4. The Great Expectations was REALLY interesting to read. It went quickly (I finished it in 2 days.) I've recommended it to everyone I know--- I think every responsible citizen should read this story, but especially people who are becoming teachers. It should be required reading. An unblinking look at the reality of life in a tough school: the blood, sweat, tears, laughs, and life-changing rewards. Thank you Mr. Brown!
   
   And Sonandia, you are a true hero!



5. Speaking as a fellow teacher, I applaud Mr. Brown's efforts in his classroom. I especially liked it when he admitted his mistakes - nothing worse than a teacher book where the teacher ALWAYS succeeds 'cause that's not reality. Mr. Brown writes in an engaging manner that reminded me of Tracey Kidder's Among School Children. I do disagree with Mr. Brown on how to solve the inner city crisis - actually, I don't have a solution but I do know that until the parents of these children make better choices, no amount of money or "desegregation" will erase the problems these children face. Put the responsibility where it belongs and quite blaming everyone and anything else, or nothing will ever get better. Alibi Ike!

5 comments about The Hero's Journey: Joseph Campbell on His Life and Work (Campbell, Joseph, Works.).

1. For those who once bemoaned there being no autobiography by (or biography of) Joseph Campbell this book fills a void. For those who have watched The Power of Myth videos, and read several Joseph Campbell books, this collection of high-power dialogues with Campbell is no disappointment. No intimate details are given of Campbell's life, however, When asked for autobiographical details during one session, Campbell responds (more or less): "That's biography, and I don't do biography". Campbell relays several anecdotes of his friends Robinson and Zimmer, and gives honorable mention to the Bollingen Press and Sarah Lawrence College for crucial assistance in his career development. Particularly of interest are the frequent remarks concerning, and discussions with, his wife (and former student) Jean Erdman. While many of Campbell's remarks are near-verbatim replies heard in The Power of Myth videos, some are unreleased gems: There are two kinds of people in this world - those who know their myth is a fact (the orthodox religious) and those who know their myth is a lie (the atheists)- both KNOW that their myth is most certainly NOT a metaphor.
   
   Good book.



2. Those are the only words I can think of to describe this fabulous book! Not only do you get a picture of Campbell the man in a way you can't elsewhere, except maybe in the diaries of his Asian trips, but you also get a wonderful insight into the mythology that was his life's work. It's like being able to look through both sides of a lens at once!

   There are lovely pictures of Campbell, his friends and family that are literally breathtaking--they are part of that lens.

   The book itself is made up of a series of conversations and panel discussions involving Campbell and a number of his friends and colleagues--including his wife, choreographer Jean Erdman and artists like George Lucas, Robert Bly and Richard Adams. It is structured so that it follows Campbell's life story in the shape of his Hero Journey, as laid out in Hero with a Thousand Faces.

   The cover announces this as the Centennial Edition, which alerted me to the fact that Campbell would have been 100 this upcoming March. What a wonderful way to celebrate the life of a man whose joy (bliss) has inspired so many, and to take more inspiration from his ideas.




3. This book was well designed. The introduction by Phil Counsineau alone is worth the price. Instead of hidden away in some appendix, the Chronology of Joseph Campbell is up front before reading the details. The book is written mostly in a question and answer format.
   
   Next striking thing is the pictures that accompany the text makes you feel that some one knew that Joseph was going to be some one of interest and sent a professional photographer to follow his life. He has pictures with and/or (Buffalo Bill Cody, Black Elk, James Joyce, Jiddu Krishnamurti, Thomas Mann, Karlfried Graf Dürkheim, Carl Jung, Linda Ronstadt...) of all kinds of people that you would think came from different eras, most impressive is his portrait University of Paris.
   
   One thing you will notice of Joseph Campbell is that he has a way of looking at life that most people do not until it pointed out. Some times he will seem to be just telling you the most mundane information and all of a sudden ties it to a point that was overlooked.
   Reading this book on his life will give you a better insight as to his works.



4. I read this as one who was unfamiliar with Joseph Campbell and his remarkable insights into myths and their role in our lives.
   
   The claim is made in the book that at some time in the 1980s, seven or eight of the top ten grossing films of all time were in some way based on material originating in Campbell's books. That makes Campbell a man whose thoughts are worth learning about.
   
   The book is in general fairly easy reading, since much of it is transcribed from conversations involving Campbell. Quotable quotes abound: "myths have to do with how you live your life", "the young male is a compulsively violent piece of biology", "when people say they're looking for the meaning of life, what they're really looking for is a deep experience of it", "the best thing I can say is follow your bliss".
   
   If you want to be inspired by a life lived thoughtfully and well, you should find this book rewarding.



5. This was required reading for a graduate course in the Humanities. This is a great book written about a very engaging storyteller. Joseph Campbell describes the monomyth in his book The Hero With a Thousand Faces as embodying all the necessary elements of the hero's journey in the many myths in human history. Campbell discovered through extensive research that humankind shares a universal monomyth in its various religions and legends especially pertaining to the creation of the world and humankind. Campbell borrowed the term monomyth from James Joyce's book Finnegan's Wake. Campbell's intuitive insight in human myth proves that for thousands of years these myths display a certain standard structure, which he summarizes beautifully in his book.
   
   A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a
   region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there
   encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back
   from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons
   on his fellow man (Campbell 30).
   
   There are at least four major stages that a monomyth has however, in his book, Campbell goes on to describe seventeen stages that some monomyth's posses. The four stages making up the cycle of a monomyth are "passage: separation-initiation-return:" In the passage stage the hero is summoned to journey or embark on an adventure by some kind of event that takes place or from a message, he receives. The hero may embark on this passage willingly or reluctantly. During the separation stage, the hero meets with a mentor or wise man who gives the hero either an amulet or some words of wisdom to be of help to the hero on the adventure. It is during this stage that the hero will go through his first transformation, also known as "crossing the first threshold," as he crosses over to another world or dimension leaving behind the old world. In the initiation stage, the hero goes through several trials or tests. The hero often receives help in these ordeals along the way by allies or from a supernatural force. As the hero completes these ordeals successfully, he proves himself more worthy to continue the adventure. Most importantly, during this stage the hero must pass through a major ordeal that will expand his consciousness, and thereby change his character forever. Often, this ordeal entails the death of an ally or enemy. Once the hero successful accomplishes his ordeal he is rewarded with a gift, it could be intrinsic like the "holy grail, or it can be new found knowledge to better the world with. The last stage the hero travels is that of the return whence he came. Often the hero will undergo further trials on his return before he is permitted to cross the threshold back to the world he left. During his return journey, the hero will use his newfound wisdom or gift to make a safe return home. Once home the gift is used to cure some ill in the hero's home or to impart new wisdom to his neighbors.
   
   Campbell points to the significance of the monomyth in the fact that it describes the cycle that Moses, Jesus, and Buddha had gone through according to their religious adherents. This is not to mention the hundreds of other monomyths told throughout human history. The monomyth proves that humankind shares a common creation DNA in a sense. The monomyth is the perfect vehicle for one to study the Humanities by.
   
   Recommended reading for anyone interested in history, psychology, philosophy.

No comments about Teaching in Circl My Journeys in Teaching High School.

5 comments about Teacher (Touchstone Books).

1. Hard for me to write a short review of this book since I've written a book about Ashton-Warner's contributions to teaching young children.

   The point is, Ashton-Warner was a careful observer of the young Maori children she taught. She knew that what she had been trained to do in a college teacher-training program wasn't working, so she really looked to see what the children cared about, and invented ways to teach them based upon their deep interests and respecting their culture, different from her own. She, a left-handed artist, was different from the mainstream, and wanted to be appreciated...and she carried this and other knowledge from her personal life into her teaching. Ashton-Warner wasn't a woman of perfection, but she made a contribution that lasts...This book has changed the lives of many, many teachers -- I know because they have told me.




2. I am a teacher of 18 years who had to read this book in 1977 as part of my college teacher training and would like to share this book with all teachers. It is as relevant for me today with our scripted phonics and literature-rich reading programs as it was then. Sylia Ashton-Warner does more than portray a method and philosophy to teach reading to New Zealand's Maori children--she paints a vivid, dramatic picture of any classroom. The reader can see the combination of her daily, organized lesson plan superimposed with the actual unpredictable, spontaneous, and social nature of children. Sylvia writes in such a perceptive, humorous way that our sympathy goes out to the Maori children who are expected to learn reading, but are expertly led, not forced.
   One of her main points was that the contemporary "Dick and Jane" method of teaching reading was too imposing, stagnant, and foreign to inspire success and a love of learning for her Maori students. She created a new system to do the job of bridging the old, illiterate civilization of the Maoris to contemporary New Zealand. Her method became famous. It is fairly simple and has been used since in a multitude of kindergarten and 1st grade classrooms. Children were allowed to give Ms. Ashton-Warner, their teacher, a new word every day. The word was traced, written, practiced, shared, and reviewed the next day. If the word was important enough to the child, it was remembered and therefore called an "organic" word since it came from an important part of the individual child. Children had word cards and every day would locate their own personal word cards amidst the class' collection.
   As Ms. Ashton-Warner used this method over time, she was able to categorize important words, and thereby came across universal truths regarding words that made reading easier for her students. The two widest categories she called "sex" and "fear" words, and if a word was easily learned then it fit into one of these categories. Although I personally don't like her use of the word "sex," she explains her conception of it as referring to the human needs of love, acceptance, and survival.
   As students became proficient with this first introduction to words, they were "graduated" to more advanced classes in reading and writing, using their own personal word banks, until at last the traditional school books could be used successfully. In addition, Ms. Ashton-Warner wrote and illustrated her own version of basal readers for Maoris, using their own interests and lingo, as another part of transitioning them from their own culture to the literate and modern New Zealand. It is tragic that most of her original works are gone.
   In actuality, the book "Teacher" is much more than a description of a pedagogical method. It is a work of art, describing the talent needed to teach. It is a work in psychology, showing one how to cope with the enormous diversity and constant problems of the real classroom. It is a work of teaching methodology, inspiring a teacher to value and inspire the inner thoughts and feelings of a child, and to take those raw materials and create real learning experiences for that child.
   I actually read this book once a year. It has become a part of me that allows me to take each day as it comes, to see special inspired moments in a child's day as being a huge, poignant step in their education.



3. This text was recommended reading and as a teacher myself, I find it confounding that it was not required reading during my teaching education. She certainly was ahead of her time, but Sylvia Ashton-Warner might still be distancing herself from those standard based minds determined to put children into the molds we have decided are necessary for their own good. How do we get children to see the power of language so that writing and reading have personal meaning that piques a lifelong journey into the love of learning--this book has some incredible seeds that a willing and curious mind might take, study, and find itself using to change the world, and at the very least the landscape of education as we see it today. Read this book if you want children to come alive to learning.



4. Fantastic Book! Makes a revolutionary concept seem simple and obvious. As an education student, I plan to take from this book for the rest of my life.



5. In generally straightforward prose, Sylvia Ashton-Warner describes the success of her "organic" teaching method for five-year-old Maoris, a native people of New Zealand. The idea is as brilliant as it is simple: young children will best remember words that are nearest their hearts.
   
   For young Maoris at the time of Ashton-Warner's writing, these words were not always positive, as many of her students were from troubled backgrounds. Words such as "fear" and "kill" were as popular among them as "kiss" and "love." Ms. Ashton-Warner's infant reading texts were hand-crafted by her for each student's particular needs and interests. After developing an "organic" vocabulary, the Maoris were better able to tackle traditional English elementary texts.
   
   I found a sixth edition of this book in my late father's library. It was required reading for my father's Masters in Education program at Hunter College in New York City during the late 1960s and early 1970s. "Teacher" was first published in 1963.
   
   Contemporary readers, especially Americans, may find the style somewhat dated. Towards the end of the book, Ms. Ashton-Warner changes from a conversational format to a diary-like, almost stream-of-consciousness style which is rather confusing. She also uses New Zealand terms such as "pa" and "haka" whose meanings have to be determined with some difficulty from context.
   
   All that said, the message of "Teacher" is as vibrant today as it was when this work was first published. It is as relevant to building cross-cultural bridges as it is to enhancing learning among students of all backgrounds. My father drew upon it in getting reluctant older students to write and read about things that they were truly interested in. "Teacher" provides an important caveat to today's world of standardized testing and rigid pedagogical criteria.

5 comments about The Headmaster: Frank L. Boyden of Deerfield.

1. From 1902 to 1968, Frank Boyden was the Headmaster of Deerfield, a private boy's school in the countryside of Massachusetts. When Boyden arrived, the school had 14 students, transportation was by foot or horse drawn wagon, and he intended to stay only long enough to get enough money. 66 years later, Deerfield was one of the leading prep schools in America, the equal to Exeter and Andover. Best of all, the school wasn't an imitation of British schools, as so many prep schools of the first half of the 20th century were. Boyden had turned Deerfield into an outstanding educational institution while keeping it uniquely American. Demanding, even a bit of a despot, Boyden shaped the school and its students into something special, a school where the students come first, then the faculty.

   Only John McPhee could tell the story as it deserves. Boyden and all the other residents of Deerfield come alive under McPhee's pen. The little touches, like the Headmaster's rejuvenating midday naps, followed by letter writing and inspections tours, make it seem as if the reader is there.

   I doubt you'll be able to read this book, and not wish you could have been a student under Boyden. For several generations, Deerfield under his leadership was what a school should be.




2. McPhee has written a highly readable account of the impact of a single individual on one of New England's important boarding schools. This work is particularly interesting when juxtaposed against similar works on the history of Groton School, St. Paul's School, or Exeter/Andover when viewing how one person can cause an entire school culture to take root. Found most often in schools where strong headmasters have either founded the school or contributed a life of service, Deerfield Academy comes across in McPhee's work as the true child of Boyden whose various quirks in no way detracted from his personal mission of making a difference in boys' lives. While by no means a critical work, "Headmaster" is nevertheless an important document in understanding the history of an important boarding school.



3. Being business-oriented, I wish this book had talked more about how he had built up this school and ran it. It does do that but not to the level where this could be considered a business biography. From a business standpoint, this is a book about leadership and how great leadership can do great things for an institution.

   Oh, and the drawings spread throughout the book really help convey the man. There's a number of photographs as well, but the drawings add nice touch.

   If this man was really as good as the book portrays him, this won't be the last book about him and, if so, I look forward to reading those as well.

   While not a great book, I would recommend it. It is a thin book of nice light reading.




4. I read this book when it was first published in 1966. Not long afterward, I had the privilege as well as pleasure of visiting Deerfield Academy and was given a tour of it by its headmaster, Frank Boyden. At that time, I was a Master of English at Kent School (Kent, CT). I recently re-read this book and another of John McPhee's, A Sense of Where You Are. The title of the latter work correctly describes Boyden's total understanding of his relationship with a once tiny school (founded in 1797) located in what remains a rustic village. Throughout his years as headmaster (1902-1968), he knew exactly where he was as well as where exactly he wanted Deerfield to be (and remain) under his leadership. Just as Mr. Boyden gave me a tour of Deerfield Academy during my visit so many years ago, McPhee enables his reader to take a comprehensive "tour" of the unique and compelling relationship between a remarkable educator and the school community he headed for 66 years.
   
   Of special interest to me is what McPhee reveals about Boyden's style of leadership (autocratic but compassionate) and his obsession with maintaining "proper" appearances (e.g. manicured grounds, only the very best athletic equipment, the most impressive-looking athletes first off the bus). With regard to his relationships with faculty members, "The more you cooperate with the headmaster, the more he imposes on you," according to a teacher who had been at Deerfield for 25 years. "He expects a fantastic commitment. If you give it, he expects more. If you don't give it, he carries you, but you don't exist."
   
   As a father of four and a grandfather of seven, I also found many valuable lessons to be learned from Boyden's relationships with Deerfield's students. For example, his emphasis on courtesy in athletics. "No matter how able a Deerfield player was or how close a game had become, if he showed anger he was benched." For Boyden, athletic competition must demonstrate "a moral force." He played on Deerfield teams until he was about 35, and was head coach of football, basketball, and baseball until he was nearly 80. He loved sports. He often observed that "it's better to lose in a sportsmanlike way than to win and gloat over it." Point made, he would then add, "Now, boys, let's not let up on [the given opponent] for a minute. Let's win this one, if possible, by forty points." Frank Boyden had a sense of where he was as well as of where everyone else associated with Deerfield Academy should always be. The values to which he dedicated his life often require personal sacrifices which -- apparently -- many parents, educators, and young people today are unwilling and/or unable to make.



5. John McPhee's second work is part of a dynasty that currently stands at twenty-seven works of uncannily good non-fiction. Rarely in the annals of modern literature has such a feat been approached. Stephen Jay Gould's record-breaking essay streak is the only comparable feat of what Richard Rhodes aptly terms "verity". The so-called non-fiction novel was invented during the 60's with Truman Capote's brilliant "In Cold Blood", but the book devoured Capote, leaving John McPhee with a twenty-six book lead and a magnum opus entitled "Annals Of The Former World."
   
   "The Headmaster" is a 1966 profile of a remarkable educator called Frank Boyden and follows McPhee's first work "A Sense Of Where You Are" (1965), a prescient college-basketball biography of Bill Bradley who went on to have a successful pro-basketball and political career. McPhee's third work "Oranges" is the next book in the series. Not only does each and every John McPhee book receive 5 stars over four decades; the majority of McPhee's work is actually about the state of New Jersey, where he resides.

No comments about Three African-American Classics: Up from Slavery, The Souls of Black Folk and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.

5 comments about History Lesson: A Race Odyssey.

1. The story of Mary Lefkowitz and her experiences over the last decade and a half is very important not only in terms of the facts, but as a story of how the culture wars are fought.
   
   How a scholar of ancient history whose only concern was the teaching of facts, became a flash point in the race game is an object lesson in what happens when you ignore important principles in order to get along. The critical points in the book are early as she shows how in order to avoid confrontation people with authority choose to empower those who eschew fact, evidence, schollarship, procedure and decorum. The enablers, more than the hucksters, are the real villains of this book. Their cowardice should be a source of personal and professional disgrace as tachers and administrators. It is an excellent illustration of the cost of appeasement.
   
   Her writing seems rather naive at times; almost as if she doesn't realize why this is happening. In the end she decides that facts were being suborned for the sake of a desired result (empowerment and pride). She argues that a noble motive doesn't justify the use of untruth and myth. It demeans those who the users would hope to empower. Lefkowitz's essential innocence to actual motive is almost incredible to read, but is no more odd that the media's unwillingness to condemn a certain reverend's from Chicago incredible statements before a select group until he publicly made those same statements in front of a national audience.
   
   This is the book's one weakness. She doesn't realize that this is in effect a religion and its "preachers" goal is to empower not the follower but themselves for the sake of status, influence and financial reward. This can only be done if the rubes are kept angry and dependant. Her fact based argument was and is a threat to this. Thus she was attacked.
   
   In terms of readability this is as dry as one might expect from one whose main concern is literal fact. Lefkowitz is no Shelby Foote or Will Durant but she doesn't have to be, the story itself is compelling and topical enough not to require such an author.
   
   This fault aside this book is vital reading. It is important to reward truth and those who will stand up to it but its also a reminder to others that the price of silence will eventually have to be paid with interest.



2. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R19HJT0DG54NOF This was a decent book that I recommend, but I did have a few reservations in terms of perspective.



3. This is a very interesting book on how ideology can pervert the goals of a college education. My daughter was a student at Wellesley College during some of the time covered by the book, so I have independent verification of a number of the points covered. It is a cautionary tale that should be ever on the minds of college administrators and the general public.



4. This absorbing, short book is the tale of a very brave woman. All those who care for the survival of humane values owe her a tremendous debt, for writing the book, and for having fought the difficult, courageous fight that it recounts.
   
   The author is a distinguished scholar of ancient Greece, and a professor emerita at Wellesley College. As part of her responsibilities at this elite institution, she was required, as were all faculty members, to scrutinize and to vote on the course descriptions of all the College's offerings. When she found that one of these courses taught racist myth as true history, she objected while many of her colleagues pretended not to notice. For her troubles she was vilified and denounced in the hate literature, one of her offenses being, according to those attacking her, that, basically, she was a Jew, one of those with hooked noses, part of an alleged "Jewish Onslaught."
   
   She was also sued for her temerity to speak out. This litigation was ultimately found by the courts to have no merit, but not without five years of legal harassment by her tormentors.
   
   Those pursuing the attack against her did so in the guise of alleged African-American, Afrocentric concerns. One of the heartening aspects of her story is that several of her African-American colleagues stood by her throughout her ordeal. It is also comforting to read that a number of well-established groups and institutions managed the courage to support her against an all too prevalent political correctness.
   
   The simplistic, mythic, hateful "Afrocentric" doctrine that Lefkowitz had to confront in Massachusetts is also the inspiring ideology of Trinity United Church of Chicago, where Senator Obama worshipped for twenty years. Others left this church when the doctrine became established there, but not Obama. Unlike Lefkowitz at Wellesley, Obama in Chicago avoided his eyes.



5. I have read many books of similar to Mary Lefokowitz's "History Lesson". It's a genre of its own: "books about the perils of postmodernism". The classic of the field is Paul Gross and Norman Levitt's Higher Superstition: The Academic Left and Its Quarrels with Science. You can read about the pernicious effects of Post Modernism on science studies in Alan Sokal and Jean Bricmont's Fashionable Nonsense: Postmodern Intellectuals' Abuse of Science, on history in In Defense of History and in The Killing of History: How Literary Critics and Social Theorists are Murdering Our Past, on Women's Studies in Professing Feminism: Education and Indoctrination in Women's Studies, on Middle East studies in Ivory Towers on Sand: The Failure of Middle Eastern Studies in America (Policy Papers (Washington Institute for Near East Policy), No. 58.) (Policy Papers ... Institute for Near East Policy), No. 58.), etc.
   
   What it all amounts to is something like this: one effect of the 1960s was the spread of French Theory (works by the like of Michel Foucault, Jacques Derrida and Jacques Lacan) to America. The French theorists and their American disciples (henceforth "the Postmodernists") abandoned traditional beliefs in truth and objectivity, and substituted them with a variety of theories, in which claims for truth are labeled "meta-narratives" and are received skeptically, as representing the point of view of the (dead, white, European) elite. The postmodernists promote instead the narrative of "the other": women, minorities, the insane, etc - and privilege those instead of the mainstream narratives.
   
   "History Lesson" is very much inline with that of these other books. But it is no dissection of Postmodernist influence in Lefkowitz's chosen field - ancient history. Lefkowitz has already published such a book (Not Out Of Africa: How "Afrocentrism" Became An Excuse To Teach Myth As History (A New Republic Book) which I haven't read). In that book Lefkowitz has challenged the claims of a Postmodernist sub-specie which goes under the name "Afrocentrism". Afrocentrists believe that Africa deserves credit for much of the West's achievements in science andd philosophy. Specifically, Afro centrists frequently claim that historical Greek figures such as Cleopatra and Sophocles were black; That Greek philosophy has Egyptian origins, and that Aristotle read his philosophy in the Library of Alexandria (which was actually constructed after he had died p. 28).
   
   "History Lesson" is the story of Lefkowitz's confrontation with Afrocentrism, and a reflection on the meaning of the phenomena.
   
   The villain of "History Lesson" is one Anthony "Tony" Martin, Professor of Africana Studies in Wellesley College (where Lefkowitz also teaches), an unpleasant man, a bully, and an African American prone to constantly playing the race card (I wish to stress that this is the man as depicted in "History Lesson". Until I read the book I have never heard of Dr. Martin). Dr. Martin has been teaching an Afro-centric course for quite some time when Dr. Lefkowitz, as part of a crusade against Afrocentrism, started to publicly criticize it.
   
   Some of Lefkowitz criticism was less than politic. She has pushed to change the name of Martin's course from "Africans in Greece and Rome" to "Africans in the Greco-Roman World". An empty gesture, as the content of the course was to remain the same, but one can understand Martin's irritation at the change, which he pressured the dean into reversing (pp. 47-48).
   
   At the time, Lefkowitz felt quite alone in her campaign against the Afrocentric claims. Martin and some colleagues and students criticized Lefkowitz, and the college administration did not feel like taking the sides of the Grecians; Historical truth was not worth fighting for.
   
   Things changed when it came to be known that Martin's teachings included not only slander against Grecians, but also against Jews. Unlike the Grecians, attacking the Jews was not OK. The administration and fellow professors criticized Martin. Some of the criticism was heavy handed. Four Jewish groups "called upon the Trustees and administration of Wellesley to review the behavior and status of Martin" (p. 80).
   
   Things have gotten out of hand. Martin went on to self publish a genuine anti-Semitic tract, The Jewish Onslaught: Dispatches from the Wellesley Battlefront; He also sued Lefkowitz (among others) for libel.
   
   The trial could have been the dramatic event of the book, but it is passed over quite quickly and with little fanfare. It took five years, but Lefkowitz had support from her insurance company and from various Jewish organizations. She won.
   
   The book continues to its anti Climatic conclusion. No great evil befell Dr. Lefkowitz. One of the Amazon reviewers calls her "very brave"; this is silly. Lefkowitz's critique did cost her some strong and unfair criticism, but there's no indication that her livelihood or her career were at any great risk. Her confrontation with Afrocentrism got her into some hot water, but it also gave her a great deal of publicity, and maybe money; Her anti-Afrocentrism book "Not Out of Africa" has at the time of this writing 154 Amazon reviews; Her Women's Life in Greece and Rome: A Source Book in Translation has three. Lefkowitz was clearly on the side of the angels - but there were many more angels than adversaries in this fight.
   
   The bigger question is what if anything should be done about Postmodernist muddleheaded-ness in the academy. Lefkowitz calls for more civil discussion with more focus on facts, which is a noble call likely to go unheeded, and for genteel tinkering with the tenure system.
   
   Two obvious types of reform may be attempted for improving academic standards. One is weakening Tenure. There is an inevitable trade off between independence and accountability. Under the current system, tenured professors are independent. This relieves them from outside pressures, both proper and improper. That at least some would abuse these pressures is inevitable. Weakening tenure would make Professors more accountable, and therefore probably better; but it would weaken their independence, and would make them more thralls of the zeitgeist, and potentially slaves to nefarious interests.
   
   More promising is a reform of the various ethnic, gender, and region studies units of various institutes of higher education. I do not know what goes on in the average women's studies center or Jewish studies department, etc, but it seems that the worst abuses come from those units. This is probably inevitable - the gathering of like minded people of similar backgrounds is likely to promote group solidarity and groupthink. Making sure that these centers are well integrated to the mainstream of the university life would not only reduce the occasions (which may be rare already) of absurdist anti Intellectual Fads - it would also allow the majority of students and faculty to benefit from more perspectives. (See the discussion of the attempt to partially reintegrate Cornell University in Richard Thompson Ford's masterly The Race Card: How Bluffing About Bias Makes Race Relations Worse).
   
   Or perhaps we should do nothing; There is already a strong backlash against Post Modernism. Much of it is not measured and targeted but constitutes right wing paranoia as substitute for left wing inanity. Perhaps we should leave the various combatants to fight it out in the marketplace of ideas.

5 comments about A Personal Odyssey.

1. Perhaps nothing profound is in this book, but it
   can lead the reader to suspect that Thomas Sowell
   has written other, deeper things. It is full of
   stories about various sorts of irrational bureaucrats
   in academia, in government, and in the military,
   maybe not _quite_ as extreme as the pointy-haired
   boss in _Dilbert_, but definitely the sort who could
   have inspired that character. Thomas Sowell could be
   considered a sort of minor patron saint (or "patron
   hero" if such a thing exists) of the virtues of
   sticking to one's guns, calling the shots as one
   sees them despite heavy pressure from those who
   don't understand, refusing to follow any party
   doctrine as if it were infallible dogma, and caring
   about one's students.



2. I first became acquainted with Dr. Sowell through his weekly articles in our local paper and am really impressed by the things he writes about, so I jumped at the chance to get this story of his life. He is a black man who moved from a hard beginning to what I consider great heights. He is a man who will not compromise his convictions no matter the cost. A very inspiring read of a fellow traveler through this time on earth and I would recommend it highly.



3. Sowell's autobiography leaves a lot to be desired in terms of literary style. His writing is mostly stilted, and you feel that he is writing at you rather than taking you along on his "personal odyssey". There are far more "literary" books in this genre, two of which I recently read, one of which I reviewed: Into My Own: The Remarkable People and Events That Shaped a Life. Nevertheless, Sowell's book provides valuable insights and lessons from his struggles and circumstances with which he dealt.
   
   Sowell comes across as someone who was, from a very young age, very aware of his situation with respect to others, and keenly knowledgeable of actions he needed to take to improve his lot. This he models when he advocate for a better class placement in elementary school, for example. The same goes for the rest of his career, including his stint in the military.
   
   He demonstrates a very rational, economics-type mind, before becoming an economist, making decisions such as whether to clean his rifle for inspection based on the probability that his specific rifle would ever be selected for actual inspection. For someone like me who is generally a rule follower, its almost painful to see how Sowell "got away" with so much while most of the time he was just practicing good reasoning.
   
   He leaves a lasting impression as someone who always puts principle before practicality, though he sometimes seems too uncompromising. But he lives and dies by the sword, and he more than once left a job or project for reasons of principle, most of the time with little to fall back on.
   
   While his comments and anecdotes on academia, economics, politics, racism, social policy and other issues where interesting and stimulating, I was left wanting for more in terms of introspection or revelation.



4. This is an inspiring book overall, and for me personally. My views are very similar to those of Dr. Sowell and, like him, I'm a PhD economist. Like the author, I have worked in government, the private sector, and academia, so I very much understand the frustration he faced at various stages of his career and his reasons for moving from job to job during the early part of his career, despite taking pay cuts at various points along the way.
   
   What I most admire about Dr. Sowell is his refusal to compromise, his consistently high standards, and his keen eye for the truth. These are what make him truly unique and, in my estimation, almost heroic. It is very difficult to make one's way in this world without compromising your standards and eventually giving in to mediocrity. A clearly brilliant man, he never tolerated stupidity from those who should know better. Most definitely a person to be admired and emulated (if that's possible).



5. If you are interested in Thomas Sowell and enjoy some of his other books, then this book will be the perfect compliment explaining this great man's life. Built off of all personal accounts, Dr. Sowell takes you through his journey from a youngster to today's life.
   
   Intriguing chapters include ones about being in the military, his son's inability to speak early on, and his mental conundrum about whether to get his PhD or not.
   
   I personally enjoyed every page in the book and now feel like I know the man as a personal friend. Thank you Dr. Sowell!