In Defense of a Liberal Education

This is an excellent, very readable look at the purpose of education. Fareed Zakaria argues that higher education should be about helping students to think critically, that majors such as art history and anthropology don't only prepare students for the limited positions of art historian and anthropologist but rather open students up to a broad range of possibilities, accessible to them because they are able to use a wide variety of intelligences and look at ideas from multiple angles. This is in contrast to skills-based curriculum, in which students are taught specific skills that will likely be outdated five years after they graduate and prepare them for only a specific field. I certainly understand the importance of students learning technical skills, but what I appreciate about Zakaria's outline of a liberal education is his argument that much like athletes cross-train to become better in their chosen sports, students should cross-train in other fields to become even more prepared for their chosen careers. In addition, Zakaria's chapter on knowledge and power gave me hope in a time when I see power being used without knowledge in very scary ways.

The opening is interesting–how the author chose to study in America instead of India or England, and how the American idea of liberal education is superior to other systems. But then he reverses course and repeats the standard criticisms of American universities. While the book raises important questions, overall it is rather an incoherent jumble.