What Should a Left-ish but Open-Minded Teacher Read?

 

A friend asks a very good question:

I have a very close relative (elementary  teacher) who is on the left end of the political spectrum, who has a book club largely inhabited by dedicated and talented teachers of similar persuasion, who would like her group to branch out a little and read some books from more conservative authors and academics. In this case, she would be interested in a book about conservative ideas and thoughts about education, and in particular, the intersection of education and race (she teaches in a majority minority school). She recognizes that I am no longer in retail politics but I might have some contacts with some recommendations for her group to consider.

This is a very thoughtful person and I would like to be able to give a couple of suggestions. I’m wondering if you have some suggestions? I see that Professor Sowell has a book out this year that appears to be a collection of papers on on education and I would put that on the list (Thomas Sowell is a tremendous resource, in my very humble opinion). I am not looking for anything of the “scorched earth” type; what I am looking for is something readable that isn’t 800 pages long and could open the door to some dialogue between groups that perhaps haven’t had much opportunity to do so.

If you have any thoughts on this topic, I’m interested in your opinion.

Thomas Sowell always represents a good place to start, of course, but do the Ricochetti have additional suggestions? Especially those of you who teach?

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  1. Hang On Member
    Hang On
    @HangOn

    The Hoover Institute publishes educational studies they would be interested in:

    http://www.hoover.org/research-teams/k-12-task-force

    What I like about these is that it is evidence rather than philosophical dross.

    • #61
  2. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    I Walton (View Comment):
    Agree, the only economist we get is AEI macro economist who is Keynesian at heart and the opposite of an Austrian school economist. In my view he’s wrong about everything. Russ Roberts Econ talk, his podcasts deal with everything and he doesn’t thrust his personal Hayekian views on his guests or his listeners, but he’s the best thing on the web. Epstein is basically Austrian but he’s not an economist, just smarter then most economists.

    I vote for the guys associated with @LearnLiberty Very accessible.

    • #62
  3. Grey Lady Inactive
    Grey Lady
    @AimeeJones

    I apologize if this has already been mentioned, but Sowell’s “Black Rednecks and White Liberals” was eye-opening for me..

    • #63
  4. Nanda Panjandrum Member
    Nanda Panjandrum
    @

    I Walton (View Comment):
    There are english versions

    Please direct me to them, @iwalton,  I couldn’t find them in my usual haunts; thanks in advance!  :-)

    • #64
  5. Z in MT Member
    Z in MT
    @ZinMT

    Isn’t it great that Thomas Sowell is on almost everyone’s list? He is a national treasure and a outstanding teacher of economics and conservative philosophy.

    A Conflict of Visions is a masterpiece, but probably too philosophical to snare people in a semi-serious book club. Black Rednecks and White Liberals is probably a better choice for a book club.

    • #65
  6. Jamie Lockett Member
    Jamie Lockett
    @JamieLockett

    Z in MT (View Comment):
    Isn’t it great that Thomas Sowell is on almost everyone’s list? He is a national treasure and a outstanding teacher of economics and conservative philosophy.

    A Conflict of Visions is a masterpiece, but probably too philosophical to snare people in a semi-serious book club. Black Rednecks and White Liberals is probably a better choice for a book club.

    America’s greatest living philosopher IMO.

    Plus if you watch Free to Choose you get bonus 70s Afro Sowell – which is just…it’s just fantastic.

    • #66
  7. I Walton Member
    I Walton
    @IWalton

    Nanda Panjandrum (View Comment):

    I Walton (View Comment):
    There are english versions

    Please direct me to them, @iwalton, I couldn’t find them in my usual haunts; thanks in advance! ?

    Amazon has it, It’s “Guide to the Perfect Latin American idiot”, they also have the Galeano book which is the example of the perfect idiot.  A perfectly abominable book appropriate for Chaves to have given Obama.  Out of curiosity check it out of a library, being left wing most libraries have it, but don’t buy it and give the idiot money.  I could only find El Otro Sendero in Spanish. But I could swear I read it in English, perhaps it was the Mystery of capital which I know I read in English and which Amazon has. It may be better for American audiences anyway and has some of the data and  conclusions from El Otro Sendero.

    • #67
  8. ToryWarWriter Coolidge
    ToryWarWriter
    @ToryWarWriter

    Taxation The Peoples Business by Andrew Melon.

    This will help dispel the myths of the 90 percent income tax rate.

    It has the benefit of being super short too.

    • #68
  9. ToryWarWriter Coolidge
    ToryWarWriter
    @ToryWarWriter

    The California Six Grade Reader with notes Dr. Jerry Pournelle.  Ask them why they cant teach this to kids anymore.

    • #69
  10. Nanda Panjandrum Member
    Nanda Panjandrum
    @

    I Walton (View Comment):

    Nanda Panjandrum (View Comment):

    I Walton (View Comment):
    There are english versions

    Please direct me to them, @iwalton, I couldn’t find them in my usual haunts; thanks in advance! ?

    Amazon has it, It’s “Guide to the Perfect Latin American idiot”, they also have the Galeano book which is the example of the perfect idiot. A perfectly abominable book appropriate for Chaves to have given Obama. Out of curiosity check it out of a library, being left wing most libraries have it, but don’t buy it and give the idiot money. I could only find El Otro Sendero in Spanish. But I could swear I read it in English, perhaps it was the Mystery of capital which I know I read in English and which Amazon has. It may be better for American audiences anyway and has some of the data and conclusions from El Otro Sendero.

    With thanks, @iwalton!

    • #70
  11. John Hendrix Thatcher
    John Hendrix
    @JohnHendrix

    The Blank Slate, by Steven Pinker.

    America 3.0, by James Bennett and Michael Lotus

    Fragile by Design, Charles Calomiris and Stephen Haber

    Seeing Like A State, James Scott

    War Before Civilization, by Lawrence Keeley

     

    • #71
  12. The Cynthonian Inactive
    The Cynthonian
    @TheCynthonian

    Marva Collins’ Way…….by the former (and now, sadly deceased) head of Westside Prep in Chicago.    The teachers will probably be annoyed that her way of dealing with the bureaucracy was to leave and start her own school, but maybe they’ll get something about her methods and her refusal to engage in “the soft bigotry of low expectations,” as GWB correctly termed it.

    • #72
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