It's fun to read old textbooks.

[Brian Shanahan]

"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons."

-- Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949

I can trump that: 1858 is "not marked by any of those striking discoveries which at once revolutionise, so to speak, our department of science."
President of Linnaean society end of year report (sorry can't find the poor man's name, probably to spare him further embarrasment).

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

From a book from 1902, "Public School History of England and Canada (Nova Scotia Edition)":

When the Angles, Saxons and Jutes came to England they were heathens, and believed in gods, water-spirits and wood-demons.

Of the four who were left to continue the struggle, three were mortally wounded. These were put to death by fire, their savage enemies dancing and yelling around them. The fourth was taken alive and kept for torture. The story was carried to Montreal by three Indians. The little colony was saved. The blood of the heroic men was not shed in vain.

Under the leadership of Louis Riel, who had great influence over them, the half-breeds prepared for armed resistance.

 

[Flying Pig]

Made me think of Survive to Fight, or "the art of dying in an orderly, proficient, military manner". Especially old Task 17

http://www.arrse.co.uk/wiki/Survive_To_Fight

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

"A Canadian History for Boys and Girls", 1919

They [Natives] were divided into many tribes, having different languages and customs. These wasted their strength in frequent fighting. ... The Indians had very strange ideas about God and religion. They believed in a great Good Spirit and a great Bad Spirit. They did not pay much attentin to the Good Spirit, but tried to frighten the Bad Spirit by wearing charms, and to put him in good humour by making strange sacrifices to him ... When a man fell ill he was thought to be possessed by a demon and was often cruelly tortured in the attempt to drive it out.

 

[Brian Shanahan]

"A Canadian History for Boys and Girls", 1919

So what? They were Christians who preferred appeasing Satan?

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

From a 1955 math textbook:

Paul bought perfume and toilet-water for his mother.

what the heck?

 

[Chieftess]

From a 1955 math textbook:


what the heck?

Apparently a "cute" name for perfume. Toiletry has (had?) to do with makeup.

 

[Lillefix]

Apparently a "cute" name for perfume. Toiletry has (had?) to do with makeup.

Reminds me of when I read Anna Karenina. Not at once, but after a while, it dawned on me that the translator had a slightly different definition of toilet than I had.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

I thought that they weee talking about water out of a toilet, and I went "why would you want that stuff, and why dont you just get it out of your own toilet."

 

[gangleri2001]

Toilette is french for little towel. Little towels were used to apply perfume and makeup and to wash your butt after pooing (not the same towel, of course) in 19th century France. Then, the WC began to be called "toilette" as an euphemism. Is like in modern times we said "Excuse me. I need to go to the paper".

 

[Ajidica]

Then there is always this:
100 Things you should know about Communism
Skip ahead to the second page, and read who put out this book.
Conservapedia uses it as a 'source' on communism.
Clearly idiocy is still with us.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

About Canada:OMG WATCH OUT FOR THOSE HEATHENS THE CANADIANS

Well, clearly the Mormons based in the U.S. think we're still in need of missionaries. Of all those I've encountered around here, I can't think of even one who wasn't from either Utah or California.

[QUOTE="A Canadian History for Boys and Girls", 1919]They [Natives] were divided into many tribes, having different languages and customs. These wasted their strength in frequent fighting. ... The Indians had very strange ideas about God and religion. They believed in a great Good Spirit and a great Bad Spirit. They did not pay much attentin to the Good Spirit, but tried to frighten the Bad Spirit by wearing charms, and to put him in good humour by making strange sacrifices to him ... When a man fell ill he was thought to be possessed by a demon and was often cruelly tortured in the attempt to drive it out. [/quote]
*snicker* Substitute the references to the First Nations people with almost any major religion these days, and the paragraph would read the same and still make a sad kind of sense.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

*snicker* Substitute the references to the First Nations people with almost any major religion these days, and the paragraph would read the same and still make a sad kind of sense.

The Christians had very strange ideas about God and religion. They believed in a great God and a great Devil. They did not pay much attention to the God, but tried to frighten the Devil by wearing charms, and to put him in good humour by making strange sacrifices to him.

 

[Skwink]

In that Christian textbook about the factors that make a country rich or poor:



Does anyone seriously believe this crap?

Well, a lot of Muslim countries ARE poorer.

 

[W|M]

That's because the Christian bastards stole all their stuff!

 

[Skwink]

That's because the Christian bastards stole all their stuff!

They took a city we liked!

 

[Dachs]

I invariably find works of history with outdated interpretations - not to mention straight-up wrong facts - painful to read.

 

[W|M]

EDIT: X-Post.

They took EVERYTHING!!!

 

[Skwink]

EDIT: X-Post.

They took EVERYTHING!!!

They only took the good stuff!

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

From a textbook on Abnormal Psychology from 1950:
http://www.archive.org/stream/textbookofabnorm00dorcrich#page/258

Read pages 259 - 261.