[John Dewey's elementary school] incorporated into the practical business of making lunch: arithmetic (weighing and measuring ingredients, with instruments the children made themselves), chemistry and physics (observing the process of combustion), biology (diet and digestion), geography (exploring the natural environments of the plants and animals), and so on. Cooking became the basis for most of the science taught in the school. It turned out to have so much curricular potential that making cereal became a three-year continuous course of study for all children between the ages of six and eight…

This is from the Metaphysical Club, a book that I’ve managed to leave unfinished for the last year and a half. Among the American idea-men featured is John Dewey, apparently (and to my dismay) not the same guy who classified library books. No worries–he redeems himself by establishing a sort of home economics dictatorship commune elementary school. I know, right? Brilliant, right? If I could be brainwashed anywhere in the world, I want it to be at John Dewey’s “school.”

Oh, and there’s also some great stuff about philosophy in there, some silly guys named Oliver James Wendell or William Holmes, something like that. It’s pretty historically accurate too. Oh, I guess Amazon.com calls it a “history of philosophy,” ah well that would explain it. Check it out.