Lies You Learned at School

By Michael Powell

Everyone knows that you shouldn’t believe everything you read in the newspapers, hear on TV, or find on the Internet, but you don’t expect the same advice to apply to what you learned at school. Well, think again, because you can guarantee there’s heaps of stuff in your head that you’ve been taught that just isn’t true, or it if is, has been dumbed down so much as to be just plain wrong. And that’s before you even begin to consider the political bias that may have been added to your schooling. If you don’t believe us, read this book and you’ll discover how much dodgy information you’ve been carrying around in your noodle all these years.

 

• Two plus two doesn't always equal four
• Henry VIII only had two wives
• Napoleon wasn't French
• Mirrors don't reverse everything
• Cold isn't the opposite of hot
• Clouds are heavy
• Gravity is weak, and there's plenty of it in space
• Ben Franklin's kite wasn't hit by lightning
• Electrons travel slowly
• Nothing in the universe is really unique
• The big bang wasn't big or a bang
• The U.S. isn't a democracy (it's a constitutional republic)

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fall River Press
• Release date: Apr 12, 2011
• ISBN: 9781435136939

Michael Powell

An Adams Media author.

Reviews for Lies You Learned at School

[veranaz22 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book covers sayings and phrases we've grown up knowing as "common knowledge" as being "lies." It explains for example why two and two does not always equal four and how the earth is not round, etc.I skipped the topics that did not interest me or those which I already knew the truth of. Some interesting tidbits, but this book would be most interesting to history buffs. An ok read, but nothing special really. Two out of five.

[osbaldistone · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Interesting, with several insights new to me. However, Powell seems to stretch a bit to include enough to fill the book. I know there are many more things that could be in this book, but Powell seems to be steering clear of anything controversial or to close to the heart.