Mastering the Past - and Why We Should Consider It

As you might know, I have just published a concise book entitled, Mastering the Past: Unlocking Excellence in High School History. In essence, I’ve committed to paper some of my lessons focusing on maximizing students’ potential and developing a competitive edge.

Why? Because I am an optimist.

I believe in the human spirit and I believe that there are kids out there who have a work ethic that matches their ambition. I believe there are earnest students who are willing to put in the effort that will give them that competitive edge.

But let’s be honest. In many places across the nation, education is facing a real danger of slipping into mediocrity….Kids encouraged to become “proficient” rather than exceptional. Kids passed through for fulfilling base requirements without embracing what it means to do something extraordinary. Kids missing out on chances to push themselves and reap the rewards because merit and distinction are no longer fashionable.

Why should we expect high school kids to master something? Can’t we just leave good enough alone? Well, if we want to provide a foundation for innovation, creativity, and unlimited potential AND teach kids about grit and merit then I think good enough isn’t going to cut it. The truth is, unless we instill the idea at a young age that a competitive edge is available for those who what to achieve it, we are going to stagnate as a society - potential unfulfilled. The world is an unforgiving place - without the encouragement and the opportunity to excel, we’ll be left in the dust,

This is my tiny contribution to make sure that doesn’t happen. It’s my endeavor to inspire kids - particularly high school history students - to put excellence ahead of mediocrity. I have intentionally made the book accessible, both in terms of price point and writing style. A print copy is less than $8 and a digital version is less that $4. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited, then you can read it for free and share it with your friends. So, if you are a student or if you know a student who wants to unlock excellence in history class - then this is the book to help do it.

I am happy to answer any and all questions. Please have a look - you can read the first few pages through the “look inside” feature on Amazon. And PS - this is only the first book of a series. There are more on the way so stay tuned.

With compliments,

Keith