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Weapons of Mass Instruction

A Schoolteacher's Journey Through the Dark World of Compulsory Schooling

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Weapons of Mass Instruction

Written by: John Taylor Gatto
Narrated by: Michael Puttonen
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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.
Education Elections & Political Process Relationships Social Sciences Homeschooling Childhood Education
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What the critics say

"John Taylor Gatto has been a hero of mine for years. He has the courage to challenge an education system that is obsolete and out of touch with reality. Years ago, he gave me the courage to speak out and write my books. I trust this book will give you the courage to speak out." (Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad)
"For over 20 years John Taylor Gatto has been working tirelessly to teach us the truth about our education system - that compulsory schooling does not work to foster a democratic way of life!" (Mary Leue, Founder of the Albany Free School)
"All of Gatto's words shine. Let's have Gatto as US Secretary of Education and then, this time, he can blow it all up!" (George Meegan, author of The Longest Walk and world record holder, longest unbroken march in human history)

What listeners say about Weapons of Mass Instruction

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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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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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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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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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Great book

A must read for everyone, take time to understand the difference between education and a business

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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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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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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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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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