
Dumbing Us Down (25th Anniversary Edition)
The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling
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Narrated by:
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Michael Puttonen
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Adam Farnsworth
About this listen
Throw off the shackles of formal schooling and embark upon a rich journey of self-directed, life-long learning
After over 100 years of mandatory schooling in the U.S., literacy rates have dropped, families are fragmented, learning "disabilities" are skyrocketing, and children and youth are increasingly disaffected. Thirty years of teaching in the public school system led John Taylor Gatto to the sad conclusion that compulsory governmental schooling is to blame, accomplishing little but to teach young people to follow orders like cogs in an industrial machine.
He became a fierce advocate of families and young people taking back education and learning, arguing that "genius is as common as dirt," but that conventional schooling is driving out the natural curiosity and problem-solving skills we're born with, replacing it with rule-following, fragmented time, and disillusionment.
Gatto's radical treatise on public education, a bestseller for 25 years, continues to bang the drum for an unshackling of children and learning from formal schooling. Now, in an ever-more-rapidly changing world with an explosion of alternative routes to learning, it's poised to continue to shake the world of institutional education for many more years.
Featuring a new foreword from Zachary Slayback, an Ivy League dropout and cofounder of tech start-up career foundry Praxis, this 25th anniversary edition will inspire new generations of parents and students to take control of learning and kickstart an empowered society of self-directed lifetime-learners.
©2017 John Taylor Gatto (P)2024 Post Hypnotic Press Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Story
Inspired by the spirit of Henry David Thoreau—"All good things are wild and free"—mother of five Ainsley Arment founded Wild + Free. This growing online community of mothers and families want their children to receive a quality education at home by challenging their intellectual abilities and nurturing their sense of curiosity, joy, and awe—the essence of a positive childhood. The homeschool approach of past generations is gone—including the stigma of socially awkward kids, conservative clothes, and a classroom setting replicated in the home.
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Very enriching!
- By Peter Drouillard on 04-24-20
By: Ainsley Arment
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Raising Free People
- Unschooling as Liberation and Healing Work
- By: Akilah S. Richards, Bayo Akomolafe PhD - foreword
- Narrated by: Akilah S. Richards
- Length: 5 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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No one is immune to the byproducts of compulsory schooling and standardized testing. And while reform may be a worthy cause for some, it is not enough for countless others still trying to navigate the tyranny of what schooling has always been. Raising Free People argues that we need to build and work within systems designed for any human to learn, grow, socialize, and thrive, regardless of age, ability, background, or access to money.
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Reset your brain
- By Muhajiba on 12-27-24
By: Akilah S. Richards, and others
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The Wild and Free Family
- Forging Your Own Path to a Life Full of Wonder, Adventure, and Connection
- By: Ainsley Arment
- Narrated by: Emily Ellet
- Length: 6 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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As parents, we dream of creating a magical childhood for our kids, yet it can be so easy to slip into autopilot. Ainsley Arment-- a mother of five, founder of the thriving community Wild + Free, and bestselling author-- is no stranger to the barrage of decisions, opportunities, and daily tasks that each day brings. But what Ainsley has discovered is that the magic of life isn’t found in the hustle and bustle of constant activity but in the intentional ordinary decisions of our days.
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Judgmental despite what the author claims
- By Jenna on 01-16-24
By: Ainsley Arment
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Skip College
- Launch Your Career Without Debt, Distractions, or a Degree
- By: Connor Boyack, John Taylor Gatto, Brittany Hunter, and others
- Narrated by: Tiana Hanson
- Length: 4 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Tens of millions of Americans owe a combined $1.5 trillion in debt for student loans. Much of this staggering expense has been unnecessary. Attending college is more of a tradition - a cultural rite of passage - than a necessary step toward a successful career, thus not justifying its steep cost. As countless entrepreneurs and creative hustlers have shown, there is a path to success outside of the institutions of so-called higher learning.
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Interesting perspective, wrong narrator
- By Bree Baretta on 12-13-21
By: Connor Boyack, and others
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Indoctrinating Our Children to Death
- Government Schools’ War on Faith, Family, & Freedom – And How to Stop It
- By: Alex Newman
- Narrated by: Ryan Hite
- Length: 7 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Building on over a decade of research and investigative reporting into the indoctrination, sexualization, and dumbing down of children, Alex Newman documents the untold history behind government education and its founders like nobody has ever done before. Among other bombshells, the book proves that the system is not "broken," but is working well when considering the goals of its architects. These goals included turning Americans away from God, fundamentally transforming the nation away from its constitutional foundations, and more.
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A MUST read for all concerned Americans
- By Julie Schmidt on 05-03-25
By: Alex Newman
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Homeschool Bravely
- How to Squash Doubt, Trust God, and Teach Your Child with Confidence
- By: Jamie Erickson
- Narrated by: Jamie Erickson
- Length: 5 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Many homeschool parents have a long-term relationship with self-doubt. "Did I make the right decision?" "Could someone else do this better?" "Am I robbing my kids of something by not sending them to 'regular school'?" What if there's a better way? Not a three-step technique or a shiny, new curriculum but a change in perspective that transforms the way you plan, teach, and homeschool?
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LOVE! read it multiple times!
- By Shalise on 03-26-21
By: Jamie Erickson
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Cosmic Careers
- Exploring the Universe of Opportunities in the Space Industries
- By: Alastair Storm Browne, Maryann Karinch
- Narrated by: Steven Grimsley
- Length: 6 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Sierra Nevada, Northrup Grumman, Boeing, and Bigelow Aerospace built prototypes of deep-space habitats that NASA began testing in March 2019. Therefore, physical evidence exists that human beings are committed to living in space for purposes of research and industrial pursuits such as mining. Now that companies are set to take both professional astronauts and well-trained passengers into space as early as summer of 2021, this book will prepare you to take your place - whether as an investor, owner, employee, or enthusiast - in the exciting world of space exploration.
By: Alastair Storm Browne, and others
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Unschooled
- Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom
- By: Kerry Mcdonald, Peter Grey PhD
- Narrated by: Lesa Lockford
- Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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In a compelling narrative that introduces historical and contemporary research on self-directed education, Unschooled also spotlights how a diverse group of individuals and organizations are evolving an old schooling model of education. These innovators challenge the myth that children need to be taught in order to learn.
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Not for parents
- By online shopper on 05-24-20
By: Kerry Mcdonald, and others
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Let Them Be Kids
- Adventure, Boredom, Innocence, and Other Gifts Children Need
- By: Jessica Smartt
- Narrated by: Amanda Sanfilippo
- Length: 6 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Former English teacher and homeschooling mother of three, Jessica Smartt felt the weight of helping prepare her kids for life, especially with all the outside pressures and influence of the world. She struggled with how she could raise her children with a sense of adventure, self-confidence, manners, faith, and the ability to utilize technology wisely. Let Them Be Kids is Jessica's offering of grace and confidence to moms, giving them practical ideas to meet these challenges.
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heavy breathing
- By Deborah Massey on 03-09-23
By: Jessica Smartt
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Homeschool Rising
- Shattering Myths, Finding Courage, and Opting Out of the School System
- By: Christy-Faith
- Narrated by: Randye Kaye
- Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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New and experienced homeschoolers looking for support, as well as educators, psychologists, and others who work with homeschooled children will love the clear, evidence-backed, and conversational information in Homeschool Rising.
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Encouraging, powerful and wonderful!!
- By wildblue on 05-20-24
By: Christy-Faith
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Why Are You Still Sending Your Kids to School?
- The Case for Helping Them Leave, Chart Their Own Paths, and Prepare for Adulthood at Their Own Pace
- By: Blake Boles
- Narrated by: Blake Boles
- Length: 6 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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For some kids, school offers a positive and engaging experience. For others, it's a boring, stressful, and frustrating waste of time. If your child is in the second category, why keep tormenting them? Instead, why not help them find an educational environment where they feel genuinely motivated, excited, and empowered? In this eye-opening book, Blake Boles makes the case for leaving conventional school and taking one of the many alternative paths through K-12 that exist today.
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eye opening/ must read for every parent
- By Angelika on 07-01-20
By: Blake Boles
must read for anyone who cares about their family
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There are different themes tied into Dumbing Us Down, which include talks and speeches delivered by Gatto over the years. Part of this book is a telling of Gatto's coming of age along the Monongahela River in Pennsylvania and journey towards becoming a school teacher, first hand experiences with students as both a substitute teacher and teacher in New York, and history lessons related to our modern day school system. Most importantly, in my opinion, is the point that schooling was used as a way to break children away from their parents. From John Cotton in 1650 to Horace Mann in 1850, there have been efforts to entrust our children to the "professionals" who know better. Parents have been left to feel inadequate. Gatto's work aims to restore that trust in parents and families, showing an alternative to our failing school systems where we continue to see decreases in reading and math abilities every year.
My favorite point from Dumbing Us Down is the encouragement and importance of self-knowledge and subsequent self-teaching. Gatto points out how most childrens' hours are spent either in school or in front of the television (in 2024 I would also include all forms of technology like phones and tablets too). There is little room for self-knowledge and problem solving, as independent time has become non-existent. Without self-teaching we have adults that are aimless and need complete instruction. It always blows my mind to think that just over a century ago a 16 year old would have the current equivalent of a college education. Gatto really empowers readers to go outside of the current norms in pursuing knowledge while also emphasizing the important need for family and community investment.
I would recommend Dumbing Us Down to everyone - not just those looking for an alternative to traditional schooling. I think the ideas presented allow for critical thinking and questioning of our education system- skills that are essential in life. My hope would be that teachers and students alike could open their minds to asking, "is this really what's best?" I hope that the 25th anniversary of Dumbing Us Down can bring this book the attention that it deserves as we examine the future of our education system in the United States.
Provoke Critical Thinking Surrounding Education
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All parents should!
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Book content
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Loved the book not the narrator
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Teachers Read This
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This was Life-changing!
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Eye opening, undeniably straightforward, cold hard truth!
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Listener received this title free
Gatto goes over how our school systems are broken, the education system as a whole. How not are children are exceling to their potential due to adults holding them back. He talks about how children are streamlined into "independent" workers who are groomed into being a part of a society that expects them to follow suit and commands. Gatto states, "How to be a good Egyptian and remain in your place in the pyramid".
As someone who homeschools for a lot of reasons Gatto discusses, this book really makes me think about how the education system has not changed since it was created. It was created to make people unable to think for themselves.
If you are considering homeschooling or what to read more about the education system, I encourage reading this book.
A Broken Education System
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Excellence
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