Sexton clearly shows how less shouting and more listening can lead to a reclaiming of a lost middle ground.
A forceful argument on behalf of the modern university.
Having established himself as a visionary when he was president of NYU (2002-2015), Sexton (Baseball as a Road to God, 2013, etc.) argues that a university that returns to basic principles and extends its horizons offers a remedy to the madness of our current political discourse. Well before he became a scholar of religion or a law school dean, the author honed his analytical skills as a debater and debate coach, thriving in a competitive arena in which he learned the importance of listening and carefully considering opposing views in order to sharpen the response. It was an exchange where “participants lived in a world of ideas and were committed to testing their views.” In contemporary discourse, that world has been reduced to memes and slogans, sacrificing nuance and complexity, and opposing views are too often ridiculed or silenced rather than considered. We now live in a world that suffers from what Sexton terms “secular dogmatism…a close-mindedness, or lack of intellectual openness.” Universities, he maintains, “should serve as incubators for a new secular ecumenism,” which does not merely accommodate a variety of different political viewpoints and religious faiths, but embraces the diversity of the world at large, reflecting an increasingly globalized culture. In a time in which there are strong inclinations toward building walls against such diversity, Sexton believes that higher education must re-establish itself as a “ ‘sacred space’ for critical reflection” and “the meaningful testing of ideas.” The university must be a space where rigorous debate and intellectual exchange can flourish. The author shows how NYU has developed into a global institution with international portal campuses, and he suggests that higher education as a whole can be a powerful force for a better world.
Sexton clearly shows how less shouting and more listening can lead to a reclaiming of a lost middle ground.Pub Date: April 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-300-24337-6
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Yale Univ.
Review Posted Online: Feb. 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
Pedestrian profiles dominate this sociological study of a cohort of Stanford graduates' first ten years in the real world. Katchadourian (Psychiatry/Stanford Univ.) and Boli (Sociology/Emory Univ.) here follow up on their previous work, Careerism and Intellectualism Among College Students (not reviewed). In that study, the authors used two tests to sort Stanford students into four groups. Careerists scored high for ambition, but not for curiosity; Intellectuals the reverse; Strivers topped both tests; those with low scores on both were termed Unconnected. This sequel examines the professional lives, as well as personal and spiritual states, of these young men and women in the decade after graduation. As one might expect, the subjects have proven quite successful; even those few not in business or the professions seem to have found vocations. In typical pop sociology fashion, the authors introduce us to many study participants. Most are so focused on climbing career ladders that their reflections on their lives have little interest. Discussions of romance, families, and the life of the mind inevitably return to work issues. Of the less intellectual survey members, only a handful evidence the impact of their education in the form of the continuing influence of a Stanford faculty member. Problems appear with the authors' initial typology. The Unconnected turn out to be among the most accomplished, with the greatest number of publications and even awards (50% of Unconnected women had won awards versus 38% of male Intellectuals). The study ends in 1991, which leaves one wondering how different types have weathered the recent recession. In any case, to truly give a sense of the value of an elite education, the authors might have done well to compare their subjects more directly to graduates of less prestigious schools. In the absence of a broader context, this look at the lifestyles of the well-educated and anonymous raises more questions than it answers.
Pub Date: Dec. 28, 1994
ISBN: 0-465-04343-7
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Basic Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1994
An activity-packed primer backed by the power and authority of a passionate parent.
A mother shares her insights and at-home exercises tailored for early autistic learners in this how-to parenting/education guide.
For Adams (The Needs of Billy and Other Autistic Children, 2014), it was soon apparent, watching the struggles her autistic son, Billy, faced in school, that she’d have to provide additional assistance at home. In her new workbook (her first was focused on special needs kindergartners), Adams first offers commentary on what she found to be particularly helpful to address the early learning needs of her own son, which she believes will be applicable to other autistic and special needs children. Her insights include that parents must be aware of and address attention-span limits and also use “the obsession,” such as taking advantage of a particular child’s ability to focus better when there is a consistent underlying noise. The bulk of her book consists of simple and generally one-page exercises that families can use with their children, “so parents can get all the information in one book instead of having to shop at different places for different materials.” These exercises include many focused on visual identification: of animals, parts of the human body, differences within a group, and more. Math and science topics are naturally part of these lesson kits, including fill-in-the-blank sentences to guide the child to find out and record body measurements. The workbook wraps up with two short stories to prompt conversation and reading comprehension. Adams has done a commendable job in collecting an array of exercises that will save parents time and money trying to find sources elsewhere, providing many avenues for discussion and reinforcement of math, spelling, and other key fundamentals of early learning. Adams’ inclusion of a sign-language lesson could have used more explanation (such as how and when to use such a language aid), and this book’s black-and-white illustrations are rather crudely drawn, which may lessen its appeal to some. Still, most parents should appreciate this clear and simple workbook, particularly since it was created and road-tested by a concerned mother.
An activity-packed primer backed by the power and authority of a passionate parent.Pub Date: Dec. 3, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4917-7091-7
Page Count: 178
Publisher: iUniverse
Review Posted Online: Feb. 29, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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