Excellent sheep : the miseducation of the American elite and the way to a meaningful life / William Deresiewicz.

Excellent sheep : the miseducation of the American elite and the way to a meaningful life / William Deresiewicz.

Xcellent sheep

First Free Press hardcover edition.

9781476702711 hardcover
1476702713 hardcover

New York, NY : Free Press, 2014.

English

245 pages ; 24 cm

LA227.4 .D74 2014

378.73

As a professor at Yale, Bill Deresiewicz saw something that troubled him deeply. His students, some of the nation's brightest minds, were adrift when it came to the big questions: how to think critically and creatively, and how to find a sense of purpose. Excellent Sheep takes a sharp look at the high-pressure conveyor belt that begins with parents and counselors who demand perfect grades and culminates in the skewed applications Deresiewicz saw firsthand as a member of Yale's admissions committee. As schools shift focus from the humanities to "practical" subjects like economics and computer science, students are losing the ability to think in innovative ways. Deresiewicz explains how college should be a time for self-discovery, when students can establish their own values and measures of success, so they can forge their own path. He addresses parents, students, educators, and anyone who's interested in the direction of American society, featuring quotes from real students and graduates he has corresponded with over the years, candidly exposing where the system is broken and clearly presenting solutions.

On jacket, the word "Excellent" has a big red "X" over the letters "Ex", making the title "Xcellent sheep."

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