Weapons of Mass Instruction

By: John Taylor Gatto

Narrated by: Michael Puttonen

Publisher's summary

John Taylor Gatto's Weapons of Mass Instruction focuses on mechanisms of traditional education which cripple imagination, discourage critical thinking, and create a false view of learning as a byproduct of rote-memorization drills. Gatto's earlier book, Dumbing Us Down, introduced the now-famous expression of the title into the common vernacular. Weapons of Mass Instruction adds another chilling metaphor to the brief against conventional schooling.

Gatto demonstrates that the harm school inflicts is rational and deliberate. The real function of pedagogy, he argues, is to render the common population manageable. To that end, young people must be conditioned to rely upon experts, to remain divided from natural alliances and to accept disconnections from their own lived experiences. They must at all costs be discouraged from developing self-reliance and independence.

Escaping this trap requires a strategy Gatto calls "open source learning" which imposes no artificial divisions between learning and life. Through this alternative approach our children can avoid being indoctrinated-only then can they achieve self-knowledge, good judgment, and courage.

©2009 John Taylor Gatto (P)2012 Post Hypnotic Press Inc.

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Critic reviews

"John Taylor Gatto has been a hero of mine for years. He has the courage to challenge an education system that is obsolete and out of touch with reality. Years ago, he gave me the courage to speak out and write my books. I trust this book will give you the courage to speak out." (Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad)

"For over 20 years John Taylor Gatto has been working tirelessly to teach us the truth about our education system - that compulsory schooling does not work to foster a democratic way of life!" (Mary Leue, Founder of the Albany Free School)

"All of Gatto's words shine. Let's have Gatto as US Secretary of Education and then, this time, he can blow it all up!" (George Meegan, author of The Longest Walk and world record holder, longest unbroken march in human history)

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5 out of 5 stars

By justice on 11-15-19

heartbreaking to become aware

It's heartbreaking to become aware of all the BS government schools have done and to have lived through much of it. JTG has done so much to expose this in his books. if you are a teacher, parent or student, this will open your eyes

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5 out of 5 stars

By Anonymous User on 12-04-19

best book to understand life in modern USA

Great book that everyone should read. it gives you the tactics and the whole picture of the public school indoctrinating that is going on today

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4 out of 5 stars

By Tyrone Turner on 04-26-24

Credible author

This message is sorely needed today. I appreciated the author's anecdotes and historical connections. As a teacher, he has given me a lot to think about.

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5 out of 5 stars

By Joshua Bradley on 05-03-24

eye opening

I love how the author is not just saying an opinion from the outside but really gives a perspective from the internal workings and the dangers of what the school system has become.

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5 out of 5 stars

By Mike on 12-12-18

Everything is wrong. Everything is off. Think.

This book breaks down so many barriers and lies that society tells us is truth. The author provides detailed stories and references on every topic and point he makes and asks the questions nobody thought to ask or wants to ask. Are you afraid of the truth? Then don’t read this book. Are you afraid of change? Then don’t read this book. Are open to new ideas and time tested methods that have been suppressed over the years? This book will open your eyes. On many levels you will feel as if you always knew this information deep down... but you could not quite prove it or express it this way... Weapons of Mass Instruction fills in all of those gaps that you were missing in your argument with yourself about how you feel towards the school system today. Enjoy. It’s a game changer.

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5 out of 5 stars

By Walter on 08-18-20

It's all true.

This book will make you sad and angry. But you have to read it. If you were able to get past school and still had the desire to educate yourself, and if you did, then you might have wondered why so many people are terribly uneducated on the subjects that actually matter pertaining to how the world works and why it is in such a sad state. Children were never tought how to think but rather what to think. After 6 generations of the Prussian factory model of schooling, the US citizenry is indeed in a sad state and could be captured by a totalitarian global government which would never relinquish.

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5 out of 5 stars

By ALEX on 07-19-17

this book should be in school eveyone shoul read

you never know what you dont know .

I wonder what kind of person I may have become without forced induction and maniplulation .
not to mention the ability to protect my children from it .
I wonder if cows know what they are ?

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5 out of 5 stars

By Rachel M. Ray on 03-31-22

Should Be Required Reading K-12

This book is the best reason to get rid of compulsory education ever! Should be required reading for any person who doesn't assimilate well.

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5 out of 5 stars

By Sara C on 12-10-22

Eye opening!

This book gave a voice to a feeling that I’ve had since I was a student myself. Schools offer the promise of exploration of our world. It drops hints of eventually learning of great thinkers and wisdom gained from wrestling with the journeys of the past, but students graduate year after year with an incomplete “understanding” of basic reading, writing, and math…forget immediate or advanced depths of education. I wish everyone would read this book.

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5 out of 5 stars

By Greg Hoffman on 12-28-22

Life changing book

A must read book for all parents - the book is nothing short of genius. Bravo

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