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Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation Of The American Elite And The Way To A Meaningful Life (2014)

by William Deresiewicz(Favorite Author)

3.84 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

1476702713 (ISBN13: 9781476702711)

languge

English

genre

Nonfiction

publisher

Free Press

review 1: Deresiewicz's book was very well-written, if a little bitter and caustic at some points. I related to his book a lot as a member (or a "product") of the system he mentioned, as one who has fallen under the illusion that hard work was mostly what got me to where I was. For it was more than that- it was the resources my parents provided, the education my father obtained, and the opportunities provided for me when I was born here, in districts with high-quality public schools. My parents were the ones who paid for my extracurriculars and who drove me from place to place. I knew this but still felt like because I was raised in a nontraditional setting (my parents were by no means the stereotypical "Asian parents), I was mostly self-driven and subconsciously gave myself a lot o... moref credit for getting into college.The book makes me painfully self-aware and gives voice to all the doubts I've had about choosing an elite school over the public ones nearby, which were considerably more affordable and places of less privilege. I thought I chose diversity and a unique college experience over comfort, but in reality, it seems I've merely picked a university that helps perpetuate social and economic inequality in very tangible ways. Even the service trips provided by my school seem, at its heart, paternalistic: who are we to believe we are qualified to "help" (or disrupt) communities we consider to be "less fortunate"? And these were many of the issues that the book clearly addressed.This book outlines problems of inequality, privilege, academia, and identity in ways that were painful for me to read; I had to put the book down sometimes just to absorb what he said and choose to agree or disagree.There were parts of the book where I disagreed with him: for instance, the arts and sciences need not be separate spheres. It's that type of thinking that helps reinforce stereotypes associated with them. If he's ever read books like The Elegant Universe, in which the author explains physics in a way that illustrates the beauty behind the way the universe works in almost poetic terms, he might think a little differently. There were also parts of the book that were clearly biased. As someone who loves English as well and believes that novels are a means of expression that encourage people to reflect upon themselves and examine the intricacies of society, I thought many of the ways he explained the power of literature were valid. And yet there was a moral/academic heightening of this field in particular that failed to acknowledge the value of other disciplines. I'm a strong advocate of interdisciplinary work: I believe that what contributes so much to the stigmatization of certain jobs and fields happens when people undervalue what others do. If we are indeed to repair or change this failed meritocracy, we're going to need everyone's help and that means treating everyone as equals worthy of respect. Overall, though, I enjoyed reading the book and appreciate it for providing a medium through which people can discuss the problems of elite education.
review 2: Full disclosure: I am going to like any book that claims that the way to a better society is for more people to become English majors. I did in fact find myself agreeing with most of Deresiewicz's critiques of elitism in higher education. The admissions process at selective universities drives a meritocracy that has already-privileged kids competing with each other from a very early age to secure an artificially scarce spot at the most presitious schools (where "prestiige" is dubiosly defined by being the hardest schools to get into). Perhaps I should rather say that it is the parents who push their kids into a needless stress as they gather the credentials to make themselves competitive. The promulgation of the worldview that the only way to succeed is through cut-throat competition produces a generation of kids whose only definition of success is to get to the top, but can't say why it is worth getting there. As a professor and a mother of a child going through the college-application process right now, I wish this could all stop. It is so hard to step out of the crazy-making when that is the cultural norm. Even some kids in the small, nonselective school where I teach have themselves tied up in knots because they think they need straight As and 3 majors in order to be hireable. They are missing out on the period of exploration, growth, and self-discovery that one needs to become a full adult, and are afraid to take a course that might challenge them (they might not get an A) or pursue any outside interests. Deresiewicz gets a little ranty near the end of this book, and it is written in unremarkable prose, hence the 3 stars. However, I recommend this book for anyone who is questioning the rat race our kids participate in from pre-school to grad school. And I agree that more English majors would make the world a better place -- or at least help kids lead more meaningful lives. less

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