In Defense of a Liberal Education | 
pickThis was a book I needed to listen to at the right time. Fareed argues how it is not a liberal education that is a bad thing, but how it's currently being taught is the problem. Fascinating listen with a lot of facts that will make you think about & see certain professions & cultures differently. I'm glad I'm able to think critically & analytically & one day hopefully that will lead me to a better job/career.
This book has plenty of facts & makes you think, I'm currently regretting majoring in English given the job market. I've never been a career thinking oriented type person, so in school I took the classes I wanted & my chronic anxiety prevented me from thinking long term. My timing of listening to this audiobook is ironic. I've always enjoyed Fareed Zakaria's shows on CNN & he delivers a great narration!
When I first heard about Scott saying this I gave so much side eye there was none left for three days. (I have an anthro degree.) Zakaria is doing a great job of capturing American anti-intellectualism as it applies to higher education in an extremely concise way.
pickMore than teaching students how to think, a liberal education teaches how to write and how to speak, skills essential for individuals no matter their profession. We need more history, philosophy and anthropology majors to express with eloquence and clarity the complex ideas developed by the engineers and scientists of tomorrow. We need people who can contextualize our current crises by explaining the world around us.
Liberal education should give people the skills “that will help them get ready for their sixth job, not their first job.
pickThis book makes a coherent argument about the benefits of a wide-ranging education based on rigorous study of the liberal arts and sciences. Instead of professionalization and early specialization, Zakaria argues for the pleasures of learning to read, write, communicate, and cooperate effectively. None of this is novel, but it is well documented and explained. Common sense just when we need it most. #preachingtothechoir
Reading as a powerful "path to knowledge": "There are few substitutes to understanding an issue in depth than reading a book about it." #preachingtothechoir
