ROBERT CULLEN is professor of English at San Jose State University. He served as associate editor of Writing at Century's End: Essays on Computer-Assisted Composition in addition to publishing in American literature.

BONNIE LISLE teaches in the UCLA Writing Programs. With Gary Colombo and Sandra Mano she is the author of Frame Work: Culture, Storytelling, and College Writing (Bedford/St. Martin's, 1997).

  Introduction: Thinking Critically, Challenging Cultural Myths

  1. Harmony at Home: The Myth of the Model Family

    Norman Rockwell, A Family Tree, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear

    Gary Soto, Looking for Work

    Stephanie Coontz, What We Really Miss About the 1950s

    Melvin Dixon, Aunt Ida Pieces a Quilt

    Roger Jack, An Indian Story

    Judy Root Aulette, from Changing American Families

    Visual Portfolio: Reading Images of American Families

    Rick Santorum, It Takes a Family: Conservatism and the Common Good

    Evan Wolfson, What Is Marriage?

  2. Learning Power: The Myth of Education and Empowerment

    Horace Mann, from Report of the Massachusetts Board of Education, 1848

    Michael Moore, Idiot Nation

   *John Taylor Gatto, Against School

    Mike Rose, "I Just Wanna Be Average"

    Jean Anyon, from Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work

    Visual Portfolio: Reading Images of Education and Empowerment

    Richard Rodriguez, The Achievement of Desire

    Inés Hernández-Ávila, Para Teresa

    Malcolm X, Learning to Read

    Deborah Tannen, The Roots of Debate in Education and the Hope of Dialogue

    *Jonathan Kozol, Still Separate, Still Unequal

  3. Money and Success: The Myth of Individual Opportunity

    Horatio Alger, from Ragged Dick

    Toni Cade Bambara, The Lesson

    Harlon L. Dalton, Horatio Alger

    Ken Hamblin, The Black Avenger

    Barbara Ehrenreich, Serving in Florida

    Gregory Mantsios, Class in America – 2003

    Visual Portfolio: Reading Images of Individual Opportunity

    Dana Gioia, Money (poem)

    Sharon Olds, From Seven Floors Up (poem)

    *Diana Kendall, Framing Class: Vicarious Living, and Conspicuous Consumption

    Studs Terkel, Stephen Cruz

    Anne Witte Garland, Good Noise: Cora Tucker

  4. True Women and Real Men: Myths of Gender

    Alexis de Tocqueville, How the Americans Understand the Equality of the Sexes

    Jamaica Kincaid, Girl

    Aaron H. Devor, Becoming Members of Society: Learning the Social Meanings of Gender

    Judith Ortiz Cofer, The Story of My Body

   *Maysan Haydar, Veiled Intentions: Dont Judge a Muslim Girl by Her Covering

    Visual Portfolio: Reading Images of Gender

    Jean Kilbourne, "Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt": Advertising and Violence

    Joan Morgan, From Fly-Girls to Bitches and Hos

    Harvey Mansfield, The Manliness of Men

    *Deborah Rudacille, The Hands of God

    Carmen Vázquez, Appearances

  5. Created Equal: The Myth of the Melting Pot

    Thomas Jefferson, From Notes on the State of Virginia

    *Ellis Cose, Discharging a Debt

    *Vincent N. Parrillo, Causes of Prejudice

    Studs Terkel, C.P. Ellis

    Shelby Steele, I'm Black, You're White, Who's Innocent?

    Paul L. Wachtel, Talking About Racism: How Our Dialogue Gets Short-Circuited

    Visual Portfolio: Reading Images of the Melting Pot

    George M. Fredrickson, Models of American Ethnic Relations: A Historical Perspective

    *Ruben Martinez, The Crossing

    Sherman Alexie, Assimilation

    Kenji Yoshino, The Pressure to Cover

    Aurora Levins Morales, Child of the Americas

  6. One Nation Under God: American Myths of Church and State

    Anne Lamott, Overture: Lilly Pads

    *David Kupelian, Killer Culture

    Bill McKibben, The Christian Paradox: How a Faithful Nation Gets Jesus Wrong

    Eric Marcus, The Bridge Builder: Kathleen Boatwright

    Visual Portfolio: Reading Images of American Myths of Church and State

    Diana L. Eck, Afraid of Ourselves

    Maria Poggi Johnson, Us and Them

    *James Madison, Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments

    Noah Feldman, Schools and Morals 

    Sam Harris, Reason in Exile

  7. Land of Liberty: The Myth of Freedom in a "New World Order"

     Albert J. Beveridge, The March of the Flag

    Dinesh D'Souza, America the Beautiful: What We're Fighting For

    Mark Hertsgaard, The Oblivious Empire

    Joel Andreas, The War on Terrorism

    Visual Portfolio: Reading Images of Americas Meaning in a "New World Order"

    *Eyal Press, In Torture We Trust?

    Todd Gitlin, Under the Sign of Mickey Mouse & Co.

    *Henry David Thoreau, Resistance to Civil Government (Civil Disobedience)    Langston Hughes, Let America Be America Again

  Index of Authors and Titles

* new to this edition