Rob Sorensen

A Little Book for New Historians

“Tracy McKenzie writes that we are living in a 'present-tense culture.' This observation will come as no surprise to history teachers on the frontlines, whose students tend to see the study of history as an exercise in memorizing arcane facts and hence place little value on learning history. In this concise and accessible book, McKenzie shows a way out of the tyranny of the present, explaining both how and why to learn from the past. He shows how to develop habits of inquiry and reflection that allow engagement with the past as a life-changing moral inquiry rather than the dry recital of facts. The wisdom he offers for new historians can be fruitful for more experienced scholars as well. This small book should be on every historian's reading list.”