In Defense of a Liberal Education

By: Fareed Zakaria

Narrated by: Fareed Zakaria

New York Times best-selling author of The Post-American World and host of CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS argues for a renewed commitment to the world's most valuable educational traditions in this fascinating audiobook.

The liberal arts educational system is under attack. Governors in Texas, Florida, and North Carolina have announced that they will not spend taxpayer money subsidizing the liberal arts. Majors like English and history - which were once very popular and highly respected - are in steep decline, and President Obama has recently advised students to keep in mind that technical training could be more valuable than a degree in art history when deciding on an educational path.

In this timely and urgently needed audiobook, Fareed Zakaria explains that this turn away from the liberal arts is a mistake. A liberal education provides the foundation for finding your voice, writing, speaking your mind, and ultimately learning - all immensely valuable skills no matter your profession. Technology and globalization are making these skills even more valuable and necessary as routine mechanical and even computing tasks can be done by machines. More than just a path to a career, Zakaria argues that a liberal education is an exercise in freedom, and above all it feeds the most basic urge of the human spirit - to know.

©2015 Fareed Zakaria. All rights reserved. (P)2015 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

An important read for anyone who has colleged

In a time when American Universities are being criticized for the content they’re teaching, this book brought a lot of insight into the origins of college and the original purpose of a college/university. Fareed also questions where we go from here and compares our universities to secondary education around the world. I thought the first 1/2-3/4 of the book were most educational and insightful, but for such a short read it is well worth it.

Enlightening defense

For the ability to connect the information with results it produces this is very well thought out. It's quick and thought provoking for starts and supportive research for those looking to understand influence of education in our future.

A must read for anyone with a college bound teenager.

This is a must read for anyone who has a young person considering college. He provides an Excellent perspective on the value of a liberal college Education. Not in terms of economics, but in terms preparation for the workforce and in life. He makes an argument to think of college as more than a trade school. He makes an excellent argument on training our young people to think instead of just giving them a skill. And and how this will be a better preparation for life. In chapter 6 he provides one of the best defense of the millennial generation I have heard in a long time.

Thinking for Yourself Is a Good Thing

Having grown up in Texas, one of the biggest offenders against the idea of the masses thinking for itself as individuals, I can look almost anywhere in my surroundings and directly apply Zakaria's arguments. There is so much practical wisdom here that most will never see or take advantage of that it hurts. Zakaria's thoughts here are well-organized, well-defended, and transparent on every level, and yet, implementing it to its fullest goes beyond the level of the individual. Those in power have very little incentive to change the status quo because that's how they got to power in the first place. Even so, Zakaria makes an excellent case for the practicality and value of liberal arts and the power of a people who can hink for themselves. My personal suggestion would be the one path unthinkable to most: for an individual to continue such studies on their own. There are resources aplenty in the age of information. Play the game, get the degree you think you need, but never stop learning. If someone says a body of knowledge isn't necessary in modern society, there are many good reasons that knowledge should be pursued with enthusiasm.

Very good

He said precisely what I have always thought, though he is much more eloquent than I. I want my children to hear/read this.