Exploring The Heritage Of American Higher Education: The Evolution Of Philosophy And Policy by E. Grady Bogue
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I could write a dissertation the size of this book to review it.

I found this book in a Goodwill in Lakeland, Florida, and read the first few pages in the store that got me to add it to the library. It started with my very views of education getting off track of educating and into becoming a business. It even seemed to lean to my side of political ideas. I was even going to give this to a friend studying education.

THEN I got further into the book. The book took a shift into education anarchy. The authors promote students running the college. Their excuse is the lofty nutcase idea that the students know what they want and who they are and should not let the colleges push them around. Further, the professors should be submissive to the students along with the college itself. After all, the students are paying for their educational holiday at the educational resort and shouldn’t let education get in the way. All of those horrible right-wingers must be shunned from the campus. Elitists treatises of social justice must be shared amongst others to organize to save us all from the organized money grubbing monsters out to kill us all.

Of course, the book is written differently. But that’s it’s the gist. That the book promotes promotes a narrow minded, backward view of the intent of learning is lost on the authors. I’ll add bigotry and racist as the book lays out the need to drop educational entry rules to let all in. Educational equality whether one deserves it or not.

One point I heartily agree with is the redirection of sports in schools. The author’s view is concern of depriving students ability to learn how to be free thinking liberals. Mine is that college is to educate fund raise through a winning football schedule.

About the writing: It’s fine, if you don’t mind the overly structured format it has. Obviously the writers had an outline and filled in blanks along the way. There’s also a problem of a preponderance of book references throughout the book and on nearly every page. This took the place of footnotes.

The book does make a stand. Or stands. As the end nears, the book is more clearly taking a direction. Otherwise it is a bit confusing as to whether the book is trying to be fair and balanced or take a leftist stance.

I do admire the density of information and obvious research done. I disagree with the book, but there is a lot any reader can learn from it. It’s also not badly written. So….

Bottom line: I recommend the book. 5 out of 5 points.

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