MESA, Ariz. (July 17, 2012) – A normal day for Southwest Ambulance duty officer Joshua Zayas doesn’t typically entail book writing and his emergency medical expertise does not reflect literary flair. Yet, Southwest Ambulance duty officer Joshua Zayas recently authored his first book, “History My Teachers Never Taught Me.” Published in April 2012, Zayas started his journey to educate America on its missing historical links.
A little fewer than 200 pages, “History My Teachers Never Taught Me” takes the reader on a fascinating journey to the hidden side of history. Due to his mother’s encouragement, Zayas possessed a strong passion for history. It was not until after high school that he started to do the digging.
“I was on a crusade to find the whole truth because history has been filtered,” said Zayas. More so, he was encouraged to thoroughly educate his children after reading their history textbooks and realized the historical content remained filtered.
While Zayas is originally from New York, his interest in local history is exhibited in his book, specifically on the indigenous Hopi Indian tribe. As a former flight attendant, Zayas took advantage and used flight opportunities to visit historical sites to add depth and reality to his historical understandings. He credits his expansive personal library and mini-museum for enhancing his research experience. Museum visits and interesting reads led Zayas to uncover Lincoln’s shocking initial stance on slavery and a dictator that Henry Ford endorsed.
Zayas’ academic accomplishment is not intended to taint American heroes or stories, but to offer a fuller scope on historical accounts. He believes that if history has the power to define the future, then a historical education of wide breadth is crucial. “You must know both sides so you are able to make your own educated thoughts and opinions,” said Zayas.
To uncover history for yourself, “History My Teachers Never Taught Me” is carried by both Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
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