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     I have decided to read Lies My Teacher Told Me, by James W. Loewen, for my Summer Reading Assignment. Many reasons went into my choosing this book. One, the title sounded very interesting. Honestly, I like being able to prove people wrong whenever I think they are saying something that is incorrect or maybe just dumb. So, this book made sense for me to choose, because the title suggests that after reading the book, I would have the knowledge to prove wrong some of the false things people say about the past. Also, the back cover of Lies drew me in and intrigued me to the point where I wanted to read what the book had to say. I agreed when the back cover said that "Americans have lost touch with their history", but I did not really know to what extent that statement was true, and I wanted to discover how true it was. Finally, I decided to pick this book, because of the reviews I heard about it from people who read it last year. They all said that it was worth reading, because it gave them a new perspective on American history in a way that was very interesting and made them want to keep reading. So, between the title, the back cover, and reviews from my friends, I expected to learn a lot more about American history, and more specifically, where our society has gone wrong in their understanding of how America really developed.
     The author, James W. Loewen, seems qualified and trustworthy.  He has a PhD from Harvard University, has taught at 3 universities over the past 30 years, and has written many books and won multiple awards his books, including the American Book Award and the Oliver C. Cox Anti-Racism Award of the American Sociological Association for just Lies My Teacher Told Me. Loewen was also able to successfully defend his textbook, Mississippi: Conflict and Change before a US District Court after the Mississippi Textbook Purchasing Board rejected it for use in the state school system because it focused on racial issues in a way that was considered too controversial. This case was considered by the American Library Association to be a historic First Amendment Case. So, Loewen has authentic expertise, and I expect the book to be unbiased. Loewen has proven that he is not afraid to talk about things that seem too controversial, and that he will not sugarcoat any issues in history to slant the readers to inaccurately favor one side over another.