Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life
The author has opinions calculated to get a reaction from the established elites of higher education. He mocks the Ivy League schools, overindulgent parents, and anybody who utters the idea “you can be anything you want to be.” He’s crass at times, scornful at others, and never pulls back in his criticism of an educational system that is producing “excellent sheep.”
Whatever you think of his ideas, there are several I found encouraging. First, he praises the power of a liberal arts education. I agree with him completely on this point. And I see it all the time. A well trained liberal arts major can navigate this increasingly complex and globalized world much better than a specialist.
Second, he calls academic institutions to stop focusing on “building leaders” and instead focusing on “building citizens.” Train critical thinking, courage, and character. In particular train into students the value of thinking about the well being of our society, not just our own self-interests.
There are parts of the book that make me wince. But even those parts forced me to think. Which is what a good book should do.
