Weapons of Mass Instruction
A Schoolteacher's Journey Through the Dark World of Compulsory Schooling
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Narrated by:
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Michael Puttonen
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Written by:
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John Taylor Gatto
About this listen
John Taylor Gatto's Weapons of Mass Instruction focuses on mechanisms of traditional education which cripple imagination, discourage critical thinking, and create a false view of learning as a byproduct of rote-memorization drills. Gatto's earlier book, Dumbing Us Down, introduced the now-famous expression of the title into the common vernacular. Weapons of Mass Instruction adds another chilling metaphor to the brief against conventional schooling.
Gatto demonstrates that the harm school inflicts is rational and deliberate. The real function of pedagogy, he argues, is to render the common population manageable. To that end, young people must be conditioned to rely upon experts, to remain divided from natural alliances and to accept disconnections from their own lived experiences. They must at all costs be discouraged from developing self-reliance and independence.
Escaping this trap requires a strategy Gatto calls "open source learning" which imposes no artificial divisions between learning and life. Through this alternative approach our children can avoid being indoctrinated-only then can they achieve self-knowledge, good judgment, and courage.
©2009 John Taylor Gatto (P)2012 Post Hypnotic Press Inc.You may also enjoy...
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What the critics say
What listeners say about Weapons of Mass Instruction
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- Thandiwe Mccarthy
- 2020-07-17
Mandatory
most of us know public school is a joke.
this book breaks down why exactly it's not funny and who that joke has been played on.
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- Brandon VanDyke
- 2023-01-06
Wow.
This book is a must. A life changer for anyone...extra especially for anyone who has kids. Great narration as well.
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- Frogclan10
- 2021-04-10
What you've always new.
When you've always asked " why would they do that! or What were they thinking?". Really not even surprised.
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- Leah
- 2022-03-15
you can't unlearn what this book will teach you.
mind opening. if you have kids or are in the public school system, you need this.
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- Corey
- 2022-07-08
Great book
A must read for everyone, take time to understand the difference between education and a business
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- Anonymous User
- 2019-04-03
Life-changing book
I am an educator and administrator of 20+ years.I always felt dissatisfied with schools but not until I listened to this book did I begin to understand my own feelings. I have already begun to sabotage my own practice. I think it’s only a matter of time before I am either unable or will be deemed unfit to participate in a school setting.
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- KD Marsh
- 2021-07-29
Should be required reading for teachers/parents!
As I embark into yr 2 of homeschooling this book solidifies sooo many reason why it's the best choice for us. Please read it, expand your mind, think critically. I was kind of surprised to hear mentions of Bills Gates and the NWO but then again not really.. these plans have been in the works long before I ever took my first breath. I recommend listening to it, the performance was 👌 I could listen to him all day! Enjoy breaking free of societies boot.
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- Dyno Saur
- 2018-11-22
If you have kids of any age this is a must listen.
If you want to produce happy, self sufficient children, brimming with creativity, a zest for learning and deep critical thinking skills - the last place they should be sent is to school. The book details the rise and ruins of modern compulsory education which from its outset was designed to manufacture unthinking, unquestioning, cogs in the wheel of consumerism. These institutions are not educational, they are training grounds designed to create obedient employees. There's a huge difference between education and indoctrination and unfortunately modern schooling only involves the latter. Only you have your children's best interests at heart which makes it your responsibility to fix.
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- Jonathan Brochu
- 2024-11-23
Education and school are 2 different worlds
Our most achieved people in the world are, for the most part, dropouts. Get smarter, not schooled. The school mold has never been for me. So I can relate to this book a whole lot. I’m not the smartest nor the dumbest, I managed to score 137 on a IQ test, but I don’t believe that test was even close to being a good reflection of intelligence itself. This book is for everyone, really.
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