A Tenth Grade education à la Max Rafferty dictated that a student ground-out a full year of world history. Back then it was world history since it was a recognized fact that Western Civilization was redundant (in a post-colonial asshole way). My teacher was nice and prim and unmarried at an excessive age (probably early 30s but this even predated the ‘never trust’ mantra that was to gain popularity in a few years). She was fairly well traveled and an excellent source of delightful anecdotes about the pleasures of visiting ancient lands (not to mention the thrilling slide shows). But through the years I have thought back to what I learned in this class and am shocked and dismayed about the plunderers and terrorists our history books presented to us as heroes.
A Celebration of Reading 