Dave O’Reilly’s Blog

	The Language Police: How Pressure Groups Restrict What Students Learn Author: Diane Ravitch Rating:
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The impulse in the 1960s and ‘70s to achieve fairness and a balanced perspective in our nation’s textbooks and standardized exams was undeniably necessary and commendable. Then how could it have gone so terribly wrong? Acclaimed education historian Diane Ravitch answers this question in her informative and alarming book, The Language Police: How Pressure Groups Restrict What Students Learn. Author of 7 books, Ravitch served as the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education from 1991 to 1993. Her expertise and her 30-year commitment to education lend authority and urgency to this important book, which describes in copious detail how pressure groups from the political right and left have wrested control of the language and content of textbooks and standardized exams, often at the expense of the truth (in the case of history), of literary quality (in the case of literature), and of education in general. Like most people involved in education, Ravitch did not realize “that educational materials are now governed by an intricate set of rules to screen out language and topics that might be considered controversial or offensive.” In this clear-eyed critique, she is an unapologetic challenger of the ridiculous and damaging extremes to which bias guidelines and sensitivity training have been taken by the federal government, the states, and textbook publishers. In a multi-page sampling of rejected test passages, we discover that “in the new meaning of bias, it its considered biased to acknowledge that lack of sight is a disability,” that children who live in urban areas cannot understand passages about the country, that the Aesop fable about a vain (female) fox and a flattering (male) crow promotes gender bias. As outrageous as many of the examples are, they do not appear particularly dangerous. However, as the illustrations of abridgment, expurgation, and bowdlerization mount, the reader begins to understand that our educational system is indeed facing a monumental crisis of distortion and censorship. Ravitich ends her book with three suggestions of how to counter this disturbing tendency. Sadly, however, in the face of the overwhelming tide of misinformation that has already been entrenched in the system, her suggestions provide cold comfort. –Silvana Tropea

Clearly the author feels very passionately that children’s books should not be censored and on that point I agree with her whole heartedly. I have done quite a bit of reading about the way fundamentalist christian groups in the US try to make sure that evolution is not taught in public schools, but I had not realised that the debate extended to all school books, so this book was a bit of an eye opener in that regard.

She puts forward her point well and backs it up with huge amounts of research into the so-called “bias and sensitivity guidelines”, which are really censorship rules, that are used in the various states around the US. Towards the end of the book she also makes some very good recommendations as to how the problem can be solved.

It’s worth a read, especially if you live in the US and have children of school going age.

	Riddley Walker Author: Russell Hoban Rating:
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A brilliant, unique, and completely realized work of fiction, “Riddley Walker”–first published in 1980–is set in a remote future in a post-nuclear holocaust England (Inland), where humanity has regressed to an iron-age, semi-literate state, represented by a language created especially by Hoban for the book.

I’m not a huge fan of fiction, but I must say that I really really enjoyed this book. The setting is a post apocalyptic world with iron age levels of technology. All historical knowledge is passed down by word of mouth in the form of songs, stories and punch and judy style puppet shows. The story is written in the voice of Riddley Walker, and is therefore not in English as we would know it, but rather it is the author’s vision of how English as a language would have moved on over time; words that we would recognise have changed meaning and taken on a more phonetic spelling.

I can’t recommend this highly enough; read it. It’s hard work, but well worth it.

On an aside, a production of this book was done by the Red Kettle Theatre Company in Waterford, and a couple of little clips are available on their website, here.

	The Filth Author: Grant Morrison Rating:
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The Filth is a groundbreaking, mind-altering voyage of conspiracies and revelations. Since the early 1950s, a secret police force known only as The Hand has been covertly protecting society and making sure that life continues along its prescribed path. But when a rogue agent of the enigmatic organization introduces numerous threats to the social hygiene of existence, the future of the world teeters on the edge of cataclysmic change. Now as the hour of chaos approaches. The Hand’s only chance of success rests on the shoulders of their greatest agent, a man who is traumatically fixed in a hypnotic state in which he believes himself to be a fat, balding, middle-aged loser with an addiction to porn. Suggested for Mature Readers.

I go through periods of reading graphic novels every now and again. This was a new author and a new style for me, but I really enjoyed it. I definitely think I’m going to have to read it again though.

	V for Vendetta Author: Alan Moore Rating:
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A frightening and powerful story of the loss of freedom and identity in a totalitarian world, V for Vendetta takes place in an alternate future in which Germany wins WWII and Britain becomes a fascist state. A vigilante named “V” stalks the streets of London trying to free England of its ideological chains. Moore’s poetic language coupled with Lloyd’s eerie, washed-out color art makes this a captivating read sure to stay with you.

I’ve read this book loads of times before but I really enjoy it and I reread it every few years. I’ve just finished it again so I thought I’d stick it up on the blog. I really recommend it especially if you enjoyed the movie which is good, but nowhere near as good as this book!

	The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark Author: Ann Druyan Rating:
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“A glorious book . . . A spirited defense of science . . . From the first page to the last, this book is a manifesto for clear thought.” *Los Angeles Times “POWERFUL . . . A stirring defense of informed rationality. . . Rich in surprising information and beautiful writing.” *The Washington Post Book World How can we make intelligent decisions about our increasingly technology-driven lives if we don’t understand the difference between the myths of pseudoscience and the testable hypotheses of science? Pulitzer Prize-winning author and distinguished astronomer Carl Sagan argues that scientific thinking is critical not only to the pursuit of truth but to the very well-being of our democratic institutions. Casting a wide net through history and culture, Sagan examines and authoritatively debunks such celebrated fallacies of the past as witchcraft, faith healing, demons, and UFOs. And yet, disturbingly, in today’s so-called information age, pseudoscience is burgeoning with stories of alien abduction, channeling past lives, and communal hallucinations commanding growing attention and respect. As Sagan demonstrates with lucid eloquence, the siren song of unreason is not just a cultural wrong turn but a dangerous plunge into darkness that threatens our most basic freedoms. “COMPELLING.” *USA Today “A clear vision of what good science means and why it makes a difference. . . . A testimonial to the power of science and a warning of the dangers of unrestrained credulity.” *The Sciences “PASSIONATE.” *San Francisco Examiner-Chronicle

Carl Sagan is a bit of a hero of mine, and of the books of his that I’ve read, this is the one that I’ve enjoyed the most. Everyone should read it and then buy five more copies and give them to their friends and family.

	Our Culture, What’s Left of It: The Mandarins and the Masses Author: Theodore Dalrymple Rating:
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A book that restores our faith in the central importance of literature and criticism to our civilization. In the twenty six pieces, Dr. Dalrymple ranges over literature and ideas, from Shakespeare to Marx.

This book is a collection of essays by Theodore Dalrymple about half of which are on various topics in literature and the other half are social commentary. The author worked for many years as a prison doctor in Britain, which obviously led to him having a greater than average  exposure to some of the more difficult aspects of society. His experiences in this environment led to the development of some unique insights and hypotheses as to the root causes of some difficult social problems, which he lays out in this book.  He is obviously quite unimpressed with British society, and the welfare state in particular. He believes the welfare state leads to a form of learned helplessness among the most needy in society by not providing them with any incentives to better themselves.

There are a lot of interesting thoughts in this book, and I would recommend it, but it’s a bit over general in my opinion. I agree that some people end up becoming trapped in the welfare system either intentionally or unintentionally. I suspect that the author may have been exposed to a large number of people who have become trapped in the welfare system that he may be overestimating the frequency of this phenomenon. I would assert that people who become trapped in this way are in the minority and that that vast majority of people who are living on welfare would rather not be. I also think that there are a lot of people who have lost their jobs who are grateful that some assistance was available to them while they found a new job. What I’m trying to say is that I don’t agree that the existence of a welfare system is necessarily a bad thing.

Also, there is a degree of moral absolutism about this book that I don’t really agree with. Now, I have to be careful here because I accept that there are certain acts and situations which are clearly bad. However, he uses expressions like ‘the elite’ and ‘evil’ without spelling out what he means. When you’re using these types of words I think there is a great deal of scope for misinterpretation and even if a valid point is being made, it’s substance can be lost due to the choice of inflamatory language.

By and large I would say that this book is worth a read because it provides a unique perspective on some very topical social problems, whether you agree with his opinions or not.

The author also maintains a blog which can be found here.

	Quirkology: The Curious Science of Everyday Lives Author: Richard Wiseman Rating:
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This is the second book by Richard Wiseman that I have read in the past while (the other one was did you spot the gorilla?). I must say they’re both very enjoyable reads.

At the very end of this book he presents the results of an experimental dinner party where he asks people to rate how interesting they found some of the facts presented in this book. I think the contents of the list gives a great indication of the type of book this is and what it’s about. So here they are in reverse order:

10. People asked to write down a few words describing a university professor answer more Trivian Pursuit questions correctly than those describing a football hooligan.

9. Women’s personal ads would attract more replies if they were written by a man. The opposite is not true of men’s ads.

8. The mona lisa seems enigmatic because Leonardo da Vinci painted her so that her smile appears more striking when people look at her eyes than her mouth.

7. Women van drivers are more likely than others to take more than ten items through the express lane in a supermarket, break speed limits, and park in restricted areas.

6. Some seemingly ghostly experiences, such as feeling an odd sense of presence, are actually due to low-frequency sound waves produced by the wind blowing across an open window.

5. Words containing the ‘K’ sound - such as duck, quack and Krusty the Colown - are especially likely to make people laugh.

4. People born during the summer are luckier than those born in the winter - temperature differences around the time of birth makes summer-borns more optimistic and open to opportunities.

3. The best way of detecting lies is to listen rather than look - liars say less, give fewer details, and use the word ‘I’ less than people telling the truth.

2. The difference between a genuine and a fake smile is all in the eyes - in a genuine smile, the skin around the eyes crinkles, in a fake smile it remains much flatter.

1. People would rather wear a sweater that has been dropped in dog faeces and not washed, than one that has been dry-cleaned but used to belong to a mass murderer.

If you want to find out more (and there’s lots more to find out), buy the book!

	Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl Author: Anne Frank Rating:
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Discovered in the attic in which she spent the last years of her life, Anne Frank’s remarkable diary has since become a world classic — a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit. In 1942, with Nazis occupying Holland, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl and her family fled their home in Amsterdam and went into hiding. For the next two years, until their whereabouts were betrayed to the Gestapo, they and another family lived cloistered in the “Secret Annex” of an old office building. Cut off from the outside world, they faced hunger, boredom, the constant cruelties of living in confined quarters, and the ever-present threat of discovery and death. In her diary Anne Frank recorded vivid impressions of her experiences during this period. By turns thoughtful, moving, and amusing, her account offers a fascinating commentary on human courage and frailty and a compelling self-portrait of a sensitive and spirited young woman whose promise was tragically cut short.

This is a book that I’ve wanted to read for a long time. I visited the “Secret Annexe” where the families hid once when I was in Amsterdam, but obviously it would be much more meaningful if I was to visit it now.

What can you say about this book really? It’s a very easy read and well worth it.

	Time’s Arrow, Time’s Cycle: Myth and Metaphor in the Discovery of Geological Time (The Jerusalem-Harvard Lectures) Author: Stephen Jay Gould Rating:
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Gould’s subject is nothing less than geology’s signal contribution to human thought–the discovery of “deep time,” a history so ancient that we can best comprehend it as metaphor.

In broad terms, this book discusses three other books;

1. Telluris theoria sacra (The sacred theory of the earth) by Thomas Burnet, published between 1680 and 1690
2. Theory of the Earth by James Hutton, published 1795
3. Principles of Geology by Charles Lyell, published 1830

These books straddle the period in time when humanity came to the realisation that the world couldn’t possibly be approximately 6,000 years old which creationist religous doctrine had been teaching.

Gould argues that the history of these three books is often misrepresented as a conflict between religion and science, with Burnet’s book being a statement of religous doctrine and the others being a triumph for scientific discovery. In actuality, these three books represent a struggle between two different interpretations of time; the understanding of time as a cyclic process where each point in history can only be understood as a point in one iteration of an eternally repeating cycle and the understanding of time as an arrow where each point in history can be uniquely identified and placed in chronological order.

He describes how in modern times the idea of time’s arrow is so entrenched in our thinking that we have trouble understanding how people could possibly have thought of history in any other terms, but that does a disservice to the thinkers of earlier times who made valiant efforts to reconcile their religious doctrine with theories about the origin of the world.

This book provides some interesting and well researched historical context for the three books mentioned above which are all clearly significant works even though I have never personally read any of them. The aspect of this book that I enjoyed the most was the understanding it gave me of how people used to conceptualise time, history and our place as human beings in the world, how that was changing even at the time the books above were being written, and how much it has changed since.

Gould makes the point that the understanding of time in terms of cyclic processes repeating eternally or as an arrow progressing through history are both important within different contexts. He also points out that the miscasting of the debate on the age of the earth as a debate between religion and science rather than a shift in understanding of time means that there is a danger that we tend to underplay one of these two conceptual interpretations of time (time’s cycle), which is not a good thing.

	Instant Expert: Collecting Books Author: Matthew Budman Rating:
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Everything you need to know: what is collectible, strategies for buying and selling, the value of an author autograph, how books are made and more. This is a comprehensive guide to online resources, conferences and conventions, shops, organizations and an annotated bibliography. For the millions of reader who love books!

I thought I would get more out of this book than I actually did. There is some useful reference material towards the end, but if you’ve ever bought a first edition of anything there’s probably not too much for you in this book. It really only covers the basics…hardly enough to make you an expert.