Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know

E. D. Hirsch Jr.

Why does real literacy depend on shared background knowledge, and what happens to people who never acquire it?

At a glance

You will understand why people who no longer share background knowledge struggle to communicate, even at work
You will question whether schools fail disadvantaged children by never spelling out what a literate person is expected to know
You will be able to explain why reading skill depends on what you already know, not on technique alone