Why Johnny Burns His Schools Down

Steve and I recently visited a used book store which he often frequents. It's a great store and we found a book there which we feel is a must-read for our Family Book Group. The book is, Why Johnny Burns His Schools Down, by Richard J. Stoller, Ph.D. The blurb on the inside jacket cover reads:

"In this book Dr. Richard Stoller presents a convincing--if at first startling--diagnosis of the widespread disorder both in our schools and in society. The fact is that in penmanship classes schoolchildren are being programmed with negative attitudes day after day. How could this be? Because the power of the pen reflects the power of the subconscious, and recent research--presented in evidence here--shows positively that not only does handwriting reveal character traits, but that it can also be used to instill them in the subconscious.

Thus, in the schools, negative character traits are daily being transferred from the teacher to the pupil through the compendiums used, and also by the students' emulating the handwriting of the teacher--who has herself been negatively conditioned. What appears to be a complex problem is thus basically a simple one: what is needed is a change in understanding of the significance of penmanship by educators and a new approach to the teaching of handwriting. If this solution doesn't solve all the world's problems, it will be a significant factor in salvaging many unhappy lives. This is an important book-one that ought to be read by anyone concerned with our younger generations."

Think of the ramifications of this research! Dad could use this in his classes and revolutionize the way teachers teach and impact the lives of young children. I can use it in my class at school. But more importantly, think of the ways this could impact families! If you just read this book, you will be able to instill in your children the character traits you feel are important, just by the way you teach them to write. Perhaps, you could even change some of your own more odious character traits just by changing the way you write. Steve and I feel that if we all read this book, we can take over the world!

Book review

No worries--this doesn't have any real spoilers. Just a cursory"response" poem I jotted out quickly to our book, mostly in the spirit of fleshing out some of the recurring ideas. So here goes:

black waves,
undulating
in irregular
regularity,

chaos unleashed
as titans of
storms, death,
sorrow
encircle

absence
circumscribes
presence,
as familiar fades,

consciousness,
increasingly aware
of lapses

verdant lands
awaiting,
lush, lustrous

once discovered,
immediately lost,
evaporating as a
mirage

sweet nectar
distills,
ever-present
yet beyond grasp,
a daily gift,

rosy sun
greets each morn,
giver of life,
devourer with fire,
manifestation
both of nuclear
fury
and divine chariot



white light
shines,
blinding,
as darkness fades

indescribable journey
flowing in unspoken
words,
told in awe,
reverence

regal stripes
paint unseen
majesty,
visible to
eyes who seek
to see

inexplicable,
unprovable,
improbable,
reality bounded
by rational
and irrational
neither one
without the other,
one flesh,
the joint sentinals
guarding truth,
life,

patterns and proof,
types and shadows,
the unknown
and unknowable
intersect,
in covalency
with perception,
consciousness,
mind

intelligence,
known and unknown,
transcending while defining,
the glory of
God.

July Book Club: A Winner Has Been Named

After a nail-bitingly exciting vote, a winner has been named for the first book of book club.
The Life of Pi, by Yann Martel.

The Life of Pi accepted the nomination graciously:

"I accept your nomination with a deep sense of humility. I accept, too, the responsibility that goes with it, and I seek your continued help and your continued guidance. My fellow Vikings, our cause is too great for any book to feel worthy of it. Our task would be too great for any book, did he not have with him the heart and the hands of the great Vikings of Crooked Lane, and I promise you tonight that every fiber of my being is consecrated to our cause; that nothing shall be lacking from the struggle that can be brought to it by enthusiasm, by devotion, and plain hard work. In this world no person, no book can guarantee anything, but what we can do and what we shall do is to deserve victory, and victory will be ours."

In order to speak, it opened its pages sideways so it looked like a mouth.

Everyone must now start reading this book immediately.

July Book Club

Here are the nominees! Vote in the comments.

2001: a space odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke (Davey)
The Continuous Atonement, by Brad Wilcox (Mom)
Crock of Gold, by James Stephens (Steve)
Founding Brothers, by Joseph Ellis (Dad)
Howl's Moving Castle, by Dianne Wynne Jones (Bianca)
The Life of Pi, by Yann Martel (Amanda)
Tales of the Jazz Age, by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Matt)

Let's say we each have two votes. We vote for our top two, ranking them, 1st and 2nd. 1st place is worth two points, 2nd is worth one. Just to make it as complicated as possible. You can't vote for your own nominee.