September 28th, 2009
Product Description
In this fast-paced information age, how can Americans know what’s really important and what’s just a passing fashion? Now more than ever, we need a source that concisely sums up the knowledge that matters to Americans — the people, places, ideas, and events that shape our cultural conversation. With more than six thousand entries,The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy is that invaluable source.
Wireless technology. Gene therapy. NAFTA. In addition to the thousands of terms described in the original Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, here are more than five hundred new entries to bring Americans’ bank of essential knowledge up to date. The original entries have been fully revised to reflect recent changes in world history and politics, American literature, and, especially, science and technology. Cultural icons that have stood the test of time (Odysseus, Leaves of Grass, Cleopatra, the Taj Mahal, D-Day) appear alongside entries on such varied concerns as cryptography, the digital divide, the European Union, Kwanzaa, pheromones, SPAM, Type A and Type B personalities, Web browsers, and much, much more.
As our world becomes more global and interconnected, it grows smaller through the terms and touchstones that unite us. As E. D. Hirsch writes in the preface, “Community is built up of shared knowledge and values — the same shared knowledge that is taken for granted when we read a book or newspaper, and that is also taken for granted as part of the fabric that connects us to one another.” A delicious concoction of information for anyone who wants to be in the know, The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy brilliantly confirms once again that it is “an excellent piece of work . . . stimulating and enlightening” (New York Times) — the most definitive and comprehensive family sourcebook of its kind.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know
Related posts:
6 Comments
The Jewish Bible and the Christian Bible are not the same book. Referring to the Jewish Bible as having/being the “Old Testament” is not only inaccurate, it is extremely disrespectful. That such a glaring error appears in a third edition should be an embarassment.
I shudder to think what errors lurk on less well known topics.
Rating: 1 / 5
I would suggest that the prospective buyer check “Look inside this book” before you add it to your cart. If you already know who Abraham and Isaac, Adam and Eve, and Angels are, there might not be too much here for you.
Rating: 2 / 5
This book is no Hooked on Phonics for the Soul. It was not the enculturation to supplement my acculturation. Some parts are better than others. blues, Blue-Tail Fly, and bohemian start p. 170. The middle one is interesting to learn about: a slave song, its refrain I had heard, “Jimmy crack corn, and I don’t care; My master’s gone away.” The other two words are briskly defined with no attempts at etymology.
It could be useful only if you want very superficial information about history, health, and society. For people with real curiosity: Google, Wikipedia, or actual library visits will satisfy better.
Rating: 2 / 5
Some of the editorial and customer reviews seem to be confused by what they mean when they call Hirsch a “conservative.”
Hirsch is only a conservative in the sense that he is confortable with the status quo and is cautious about accepting change but not unwilling. The political right-wing of today calls itself “conservative” but is actually ULTRA-conservative, wanting to turn back the clock on cultural changes and has an almost paranoid view of the left. According to interviews, Hirsch sees himself as more an old New Deal liberal, and while he may often disagree with contemporary radicals on some cultural matters, he does not treat them with utter contempt like today’s right-wing movement tends to do.
(For examples, of the type of far-right “conservatives” I was mentioning above, think Allan Bloom or Philip Johnson.)
As for the book itself, it’s a good list, but none of the authors ever intended to make it comprehensive of the entire culture. (The main reason Germaine Greer and Sherman Alexie are not mentioned may simply be space limitations. They even had to cut some stuff from the last edition.)
Rating: 5 / 5
I bought this on recommendation and was excited about reading it. I received it and was taken aback at the format of the book. I thought it was a book you could read from cover to cover, etc….but it is more like a dictionary/reference book to address any questions you might have regarding any number of things. Still is an interesting read though.
Rating: 3 / 5
How can people not know what pheromones are – the word has been in use since 1959 – that’s a half a century! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkGssgH1zL8
Write a Comment