Just what I read..

Inspired by Nancy Pearl's "Book Lust Journal." I knew I would lose my book journal if I didn't keep it online.

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Black Rednecks and White Liberals

I enjoy listening to Thomas Sowell, but I had never read any of his books. I couldn’t help picking this one up based on the title. I don’t agree with everything in this book and I had a lot of trouble with the tarring and feathering of the culture of the Southern US and the lionizing of the Pre-WWII German reputation. I do agree that the trends in education show that we aren’t valuing history, independent thought, logic and logistics (never mind civics that’s a dead subject which isn’t taught anymore.)
I loved his assertion that Ebonics is a linguistic descendant of white plantation owners and has nothing really to do with black culture.
I’m not sure about his assertion that prior to the civil rights bills black schools in the north were doing fine and that integration actually hurt them. His example relies on anecdotal information from one school in Washington DC. Still he presents information in an interesting way and leaves the reader with plenty to think about.
If at first one considers the early chapters of the book racist, remember the liberal adage: a man without power cannot be racist. Sowell is black so by the liberal logic, he can’t be racist, although his book presents arguments about racism having nothing to do with power (not to mention the true history of slavery).

Friday, July 21, 2006

Another book for the Wish List...

Introductory Psychology Through Science Fiction

Don't you just love the title of that?