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The Case against Education

Why the Education System Is a Waste of Time and Money
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( 2,081 ratings, 330 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Case against Education by Bryan Caplan challenges the conventional belief that education primarily enhances skills. Instead, Caplan argues that education mainly acts as a signalling device to demonstrate employability. The book explores why students often seek easy grades, forget most learned material after exams, and why increased access to education has not translated into better jobs for average workers. It critiques the societal tendency to overvalue costly schooling that offers little real-world skill application, advocating for reduced education spending based on research and common sense.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is suited for readers interested in education policy, economics, and labour market dynamics, especially those open to questioning traditional views on the value of formal schooling.

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"With a new afterword by the author"--Cover.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Why we need to stop wasting public funds on education.

Despite being immensely popular—and immensely lucrative—education is grossly overrated. Now with a new afterword by Bryan Caplan, this explosive book argues that the primary function of education is not to enhance students' skills but to signal the qualities of a good employee.

Learn why students hunt for easy As only to forget most of what they learn after the final exam, why decades of growing access to education have not resulted in better jobs for average workers, how employers reward workers for costly schooling they rarely ever use, and why cutting education spending is the best remedy.

Romantic notions about education being good for the soul must yield to careful research and common sense—The Case against Education points the way.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

"Cogently argued." —Megan McArdle, Washington Post

"A wake-up call for all Americans." —Ian Lindquist, Weekly Standard

The Case against Education … is a case of Caplan being right." —Charles Fain Lehman, Washington Free Beacon

"[Caplan] argues devastatingly … that college is, for many of those who go there, a boondoggle." —Kyle Smith, National Review

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780691196459

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 20 August 2019

Country: United States

Imprint: Princeton University Press

Illustration: 45 b/w illus. 17 tables.

Contributors:

  • Afterword by Bryan Caplan

Audience: Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Width: 133.0mm

Height: 203.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 424

About the Author

Bryan Caplan is professor of economics at George Mason University. His books include Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids: Why Being a Great Parent Is Less Work and More Fun Than You Think. Twitter @bryan_caplan

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  • The Case against Education
    Why we need to stop wasting public funds on education: Despite being immensely popular—and immensely lucrative—education is grossly overrated. In this explosive book, Bryan Caplan argues that the primary function of education is not to enhance students' skills but to certify their intelligence, work ethic, and conformity—in other words, to signal the qualities of a good employee. Learn why students...
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