Letters to the Editor
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@ Tone
I think the books are important; an engaged, enthusiastic teacher is even more so. The best texts in the world don't make up for an indifferent, apathetic instructor.
We don't really disagree. Teachers are definitely an irreplaceable part of the equation. But when I had an apathetic instructor, and it happened, I learned anyhow because I loved to read. So while neither alone is a panacea, I do believe that textbooks that are well-written and engaging, as well as truthful, can go a long way toward maintaining interest.
It's the "truthful" part that I was mostly referring to in my earlier post. History is engaging when it isn't the whitewashed pabulum that so often passes for it in our basic educational system.