The Power of Literacy, and Why Literacy Bootcamp

One of the things I've noticed when I read older books is that they're more difficult. They're also well written. Even the boring books have a certain elegance to them. Why is this? Why were the books from even as far back as the late 1700's and early 1800's America more rigorous? What did people do, in an era of practically no school, in order to be able to handle such a high level of reading? In case you think I'm kidding, look at "Last of the Mohicans". It was published in 1826, and it is a literary marvel - complex, thoughtful, dynamic, and filled with rich imagery. Have you tried to read it? Most college graduates today would curl up in the fetal position after the first 3 paragraphs.

The story we get is that these great works were only for the literate Elite. This is patently false. It's a myth. The regular people bought "Last of the Mohicans" in droves - it was a bestseller. Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" was another example of this. One fifth of the country read his treatise. Pick it up and read it. How is it possible that these two works sold so well and were read so widely if few were literate?

It's because people were more literate back then. They studied language, grammar, and practiced with difficult material. My mission here is to give back to you what is your birthright as a person: the ability to navigate all levels of literacy and literature. The reason slaves, throughout world history, were forbidden to read is because a literate person is dangerous. A literate person won't be fooled by slogans and mindless repetition. In other words, a literate person won't be snookered by the charlatans who boss us around today.

Let's get learning - and literate. The old ways weren't broken. They didn't need to be 'fixed'. It's time we took back what is ours.
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