Book Review on “Not Written In Stone” by Kyle Ward
Author Kyle Ward has written “Not Written In Stone“, an amazing book about how history keeps changing with the times, and do we ever really know what truly happens. He points out in this book the different history books about Christopher Columbus and shows the dates that some of the different information came out. Each story with either conflicting information or added information. Here is what Publisher’s Weekly said about the book “For this fascinating history of history . . . {Ward} examined scores of textbooks published between 1794 and 1999 . . . uncovering startling discrepancies in writers” versions of everything from slavery to Vietnam.”
This book is suggested use for classroom, but I say it’s for everyone. It really makes you question on what you know to be true about what has happened in the past.
One chapter that I was particularly interested in was The Salem Witch Trials. I grew up near Salem, Mass and I have visited Salem many times especially during Halloween. Ward says “there are as many different explanations of why the Salem witchcraft trails occurred as there are books written on the subject. What seems to be consistent about this story in most history books is that the authors usually tried to portray the young girls, or the citizens of Salem, as being “silly,” “delusional,” or even “hysterical.” That they were a sane, rational people does not seem to be an argument that many textbooks make.” Today, there is still question of what actually happened around Salem during that bizarre time. I know each time I walk into the Witches Museum in Salem, I get chills running up and down my spine.
At the end of each chapter Ward poses questions to really make the reader think, explore and not take anything you read for granted. I highly recommend this book to all, not just for the history classrooms or history buffs.
Tags: books, history, indians, Kyle Ward, mass., publicist nyc, publicity nyc, publishers, salem, sherri rosen publicity nyc, sherri rosen publiicty, St. Cloud State University, witches, writers
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