I’ll be honest... when I first started reading “Doing School-How We Are Creating a Generation of Stressed Out, Materialistic, and Miseducated Students,” I didn’t think it would catch my attention. After all, how could it possibly with such a long title? And yet, as I find more and more often today, I was proven wrong. Again. This book was entertaining and funny but also serious and informative. Most of all, and what appealed to me most from it, was that it was so relatable to me. As a high school student going through the exact education system and experience that this book discussed, it took on a whole new level for me. It wasn’t simply talking about an intangible idea, suddenly this book was taking a look inside the four walls of my high school (theoretically speaking, because we have more than four). Therefore, I really appreciated this book and got a better understanding of what it really meant to say.
This book could probably be interpreted in several different ways based on it’s audience at the time. However, I don’t think it could ever not be understood at all. The main point is right there in the title. “Schools are doing x,y, and z, and I’m going to show you how...” is what it seems to say. Through the use of extensive examples, the book does indeed show the “how” behind the problem. In addition, Denise Clark Pope uses clear wording and simple diction to get her point across. She doesn’t cloud her meaning with pretentious diction or imply that she is more intelligent than her readers. She recognizes that the people reading the book are the ones who can make a difference, and are very therefore important. She treats them as equals and her attitude shows through in her writing. I really, really, liked this book.
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