BOOK

Elite education

[Photo provided to China Daily]

Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life is a book questioning whether an education at the country's elite colleges prepares students to find true meaning in their lives. Written by former Yale professor William Deresiewicz, the book argues that the nation's elite colleges don't promote intellectual curiosity, and leave students without a sense of purpose, unwilling to take a chance on pursuing their passions, instead, pursuing high-paying but soul-sucking jobs－in finance for instance. The book engages readers in a critical re-evaluation of education's role in your development. That kind of thinking－questioning the norm and learning how to be intellectually risky－is what Deresiewicz argues an education should help you do.