The Modern Scholar

Rethinking Our Past: Recognizing Facts, Fictions, and Lies in American History

By: Professor James W. Loewen

Narrated by: Professor James W. Loewen

Length: 8 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

You will get the most from this course by reading or listening to Professor Loewen's book, Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. Within that book are many facts about American (and world) history to which most people have simply never been exposed. Nationalist history by textbook authors and the descendants or biographers of the famous and infamous have given history students a very skewed vision of our true history - indeed, the true history of mankind. This course is designed to enlighten and encourage you to consider the factual basis of many of our most-cherished yet glossed-over stories and the real-life characters who populate them. From archaeological misinformation to investigations into the nature of modern public policy, Professor Loewen challenges you to consider the history of what "was" rather than what has been told by standard teaching methods and textbooks.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2004 James M. Loewen (P)2004 Recorded Books

A worthy course

As a recent immigrated Taiwanese South African to USA, I could not understand why everybody (especially African Americans/Europeam Americans)are so obsessed with Race relations, this course explained it to me forcibly. I think Ethnocentrism is a danger to American mind, when my African American co-worker jokingly accused me of "racism" when I greeted her with "Yo", I hesitated to explain to her in Taiwanese schools and millitary, "Yo" was a standard reply as in "Yes Sir"...

A Must Read

If you have ever wondered how much of the "American history" taught in our public schools is merely propaganda this book is a must read. I read "Lies My Teacher Told Me" years ago and this is an excellent sequel.

Vital in its details; flawed in its scope

The title gets one star just for its iconoclasm. The biggest flaw is obvious. The lecture is looking to do a rewrite of American history starting with prehistory and the introduction of H. Sapiens to the continent. There's just no way that the lecture can provide sufficient detail on any one point. But this is information you (probably) don't know, and these are ideas you need to be thinking about. It's an important rewrite, and if you don't think you need it, the more likely it is that you do.I greatly disagree with some of the author's larger conclusions, but there are some vitally interesting facts in there that every good citizen should know.

Excellent Book! Honest Historical Account

Professor Loewen is one of the greatest historian of our times. Any opportunity to learn from him is a treasure.

Everyone should listen to this!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Modern Scholar to be better than the print version?

I am a huge fan of people who tell proper, truthful history. Much like Howard Zinn, Professor James W. Loewen is a master at telling us the truth about American history. Even better, he is very entertaining to listen to. I learned a plethora of incredible, amazing, and flabbergasting details about our history that I never even came close to getting in school. I wish every history teacher was like Professor Loewen. Everyone has to check out this audiobook!

New insights to consider

What did you like best about this story?

Wow! I have never been much of a history buff, which may be why I really appreciate this book; I think I learned more about history here that I learned all the way through grade school and high school (in college there was no particular reason that I should have learned anything about history)(although I have learned more about history since then…). The standard things about Native Americans and the way our history is skewed when it comes to "American Indians" was pretty much expected, but there were a lot of details. And it was interesting to learn how many things with "learned about" that really never wore. And in the end, learning then thought "historical sites" nationwide for the most part are a farce! Unfortunately, to verify most of it, I need to read a lot more – which I will admit I am not inclined to do :-), but it is really interesting what one person can determine about our texts and curriculum through high school! If nothing else, it opens up a lot of questions!

Any additional comments?

As I said, I'm not much of a history person, but I think that I will eventually read/listen to "Lies My Teacher Told Me Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong" by the same author, for which I do already have the audio. But again, it will be "eventually", when I'm ready to steep myself in history some more :-)

History or PC?

There are important lessons to be learned from this listen. Professor Loewen points out the distortions and biases of history books and their writers and illustrates well that "history is told by the victors." Students at all levels of learning should be reminded often that this is the case and that we need to be aware that our ancestors did not often act in ways we now believe to be just and fair.

This does not come as shocking news to much of anybody. And these lectures, informative as they may be, should be presented as what they are: a PC balance. That's not a bad thing certainly, but perhaps the professor should remind us occasionally that he also speaks with a bias and a set of values that have and may again alter with time and circumstance.

No, history books should not be taken as absolute truth, and we should definitely learn from the mistakes of the past. But we can't present ourselves and our current interpretation of events as the last word either. This, in other words, was not my favorite in the excellent "Modern Scholar" series.

An engaging series of lectures

The Modern Scholar series lives and dies with the strength of the lecturer, and James Loewen stands out for the sheer enthusiasm he brings to the table. He is passionate and articulate, almost giving you the feeling that you're in class with him, and keeps the energy up throughout the entire 8 hours.

Loewen, akin to Howard Zinn, is often telling the history of the losers, and at times you get the feeling he is omitting a bit of info here and there, but overall the course is solid and up front in what it discusses. Much of the basis of the lecture is an extended talk on the development of racism in America, especially the little talked about "nadir period" that started around 1890.

Like "Lies My Teacher Told Me," Loewen's well regarded 1995 book on the many failures of textbooks in American schools, much of this lecture is devoted to countering long held notions taught in classrooms throughout US history.

Given Loewen's ability to keep the information he speaks about entertaining, and the overall quality of information contained in the course, the only letdown is he doesn't have any further Modern Scholar lectures available.

Okay reading, but too much like sitting in class,,

What did you like about this audiobook?

Boring delivery, too much like being in a class. These authors need to accept the fact that they need to stick to writing and NOT narrating the book. I have bought a lot of books that are good info but the reading is awful. Breakdown and pay an interesting reader to sell more of your books.

How has the book increased your interest in the subject matter?

Not increased, but just more informed.

Does the author present information in a way that is interesting and insightful, and if so, how does he achieve this?

boring voice, lecture lecture lecture,,,,,,aarrgh!!!

What did you find wrong about the narrator's performance?

see above

Do you have any additional comments?

nope

A must listen

I've read some of the critical reviews of this title, but from my perspective it is a MUST listen for every educated American. Regardless of where you fall on the political-social spectrum, it's important to challenge the biases and assume that surround us on a daily basis. You won't be sorry. Listen to this course!