You Know What They Say: - book review

You Know What They Say: The Truth About Popular Beliefs by Alfie Kohn punches holes in all the conventional wisdom you thought you knew. Well, maybe not ALL the conventional wisdom but a great deal of it. In one section of the book he pairs opposite sayings showing that it would be impossible for both to be right. Such things as "too many cooks spoil the broth" and "two heads are better than one". In another part of the book he points to scientific research that disproves such "common sense" as "no two snowflakes are alike" and "boys are better at math than girls".

This is one of Kohn's earlier books, written before he set his sights on the education field and narrowed his aim a bit. He had written "No Contest: the Case Against Competition" before this but subsequently went on to produce

The Homework Myth : Why Our Kids Get Too Much Of A Bad Thing

Punished By Rewards : The Trouble With Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A's, Praise, And Other Bribes

The Schools Our Children Deserve : Moving Beyond Traditional Classrooms And "Tougher Standards"

Unconditional Parenting : Moving From Rewards And Punishments To Love And Reason

According to my wife Carolyn, Kohn does have a good reputation among educators, at least early childhood educators. I wonder how his messages of needful change are received by administrators and parents.