Solomon, a media analyst with a finely-tuned and raging impatience with mealy-mouthed, corporate-dominated reporting, is the definition of an "anti-pundit." His book punctures the phony, puny-minded pablum that passes for mainstream news. The book starts off with a great satire of what the TV news would look like "if anchors talked straight." Solomon stays right on the mark on a set of important topics: coverage of labor (and the anti-intellectualism in much economics/business reporting), hypocrisy in scandal mongering and human rights and a host of other arenas, racism in reporting, and the right-wing-funded punditocracy. I'm using the book to help my students learn about critical thinking ... and to show them that cultural analysis can be sharp and smart and funny without being obscure!

I have had my own personal experience with the mainstream media and how they severely limit the reporting of serious corporate abuses and crimes. The general public is kept much in the dark about vital issues that affect their lives. It does not bode well for our democracy.

I think people who dismiss Solomon's serious concerns about how our news is disseminated, don't want to acknowledge the truth, because (it maybe too frightening) they then might have to take some responsibility for it.

A rich democracy embraces divergence. When books such as Solomon's are a standard part of America's public educational system, then democracy will truly be live and well in America.

As depicted on the cover illustration, Norman Solomon brilliantly shows us how the mass media behaves like submissive monkeys, well-trained by corporate power. The book effectively urges us to be concerned with the consequences of this behavior, particularly with the human rights abuses it fosters.

Johnathan Kozol lionizes the dictatorship set up by Fidel Castro in Cuba. Yes, Mr. Kozol, Castro has a great school system in Cuba which teaches everyone to read...and Castro then thoughtfully decides which books they can read. What kind of fools do you think we are?

Kozol's powerful analysis of the Cuban educational system provides insight into the problems faced in the public education system in this country today. The Cuban literacy drive is a documented case of mobilizing society to stamp out a social ailment. Kozol's coverage of how the campesinos were intellectually engaged in the literacy process through the use of Paulo Freire's concept of the generative word is particularly insightful.

Many Americans not yet recovered from cold war paranoia will have a hard time believing that anything from Cuba could serve as a model for the Stars and Stripes. Both Kozol and the Cubans are candid about the different perceptions of democracy and the role of government in each society. Far from being a left-wing apologist, Kozol critically analyzes the Cuban social structure and probes government officials, educators, and students in an effort to find inconsistencies between government propaganda and educational achievement.

This title should be an inspiration to any literacy advocate who is able to look at another society's ideas and determine which of those are applicable at home and which are not.

I strongly encourage the publisher to do a reprint of this title.

We had to read this book for our critical reading writing and research class. I found it very redundant and repetative. I can see his point that something needs to be done about illiteracy, but after about 2 chapters hes saying the same thing over and over again. Also, the statistics drove me nuts. But I learned quite a bit. Get this book if you are interested in this subject. If you have to read it for a class, try not to fall asleep.

i read this book for an english class i am taking at skyline college in san bruno california, i found the book very informative on the topic of illiteracy, the author has a genuine concern for the illiterate population in america, he is educated on the topic and pontential solutions. But the text seemed rather difficult to understand and the messages that he is trying to say. his choice of words are sometimes confusing, it made reading the book very tiring and chore like. but, overall, for the audience i think he was trying to reach, and the information he wanted to share, the book did its job

Kozol gives the reader an overview of the problem of illiteracy in our country. Yet, he gives the information in a way that is not tangible to all readers. Kozol being an educated man writes the book in the way he thinks and comprehens the material. A way many individuals might not capture. In order to have illiteracy be known in our country Kozol should have displayed it in the way many people are able to understand. He would have caputured a bigger audience.

Although I feel Kozol should have written the book with the audience in mind he does give the reader startling facts. Facts that we are able to understand. Facts such as , illiteracy will just not go away by itself, and how damaging it is and has been in our workplace, family and society. He raises awareness that makes the educated reader want to find a way to participate in conquering this never ending battle.