CULTURAL LITERACY

In this essay Hirsch proposes that all Americans learn common points of reference so all may exchange ideas equitably. A list of recommended terms to know follows. Although Barrett Whitener reads this book quite respectably, the separate DICTIONARY OF CULTURAL LITERACY, which actually defines the itemized topics, probably would be a more engaging audio because listeners could affirm and expand their grasp of “what every American needs to know.” Whitener gives the present work a clear, uncluttered quality, and his efforts to provide variety of tone and pace in the recitation of the phone book-like list are especially commendable. D.J. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT 96]