Book Review: "Weapons of Mass Instruction: A Schoolteacher's Journey through the Dark World of Compulsory Schooling"

This is one of the books that I review that I do NOT recommend to everybody. That is not to say that I do not think that it is an extremely informative and fascinating book. John Taylor Gatto hits the nail right on the head when it comes to his conclusions about the world of compulsory schooling, and he of all people should know, he spent 30 years as a teacher in the New York public school system. While there, he would continually notice things that were wrong, and over time as he tried to fix them, he learned that the system was purposefully set up to be broken.

I don't suggest everyone read this book because the content can be quite distressing. My brother Rob who recommended it to me put it best, he said that this book is "The Blue Pill" and for those of you who did not catch or understand the Matrix reference there, it simply means that oftentimes it is easier to remain in ignorance than to know the startling truth. If you are not comfortable with drastically changing your paradigm concerning American Education, in particular the public school system, then this book is not likely for you.

However, if you would rather know how things really work, what the problems are, and how to escape/avoid their effects... This one is for you. One final note: John Taylor Gatto's first book "The Underground History of American Education" is available to read for free from his website, check it out as well. (Note: you will probably need a dictionary, this guy is smart!)