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Books for thought on Education and Purpose

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March 26, 2015 by ES Ivy

We took our kids – with our main focus being our son, who’s a high school junior – to visit two private universities in our state over spring break. While our son is very focused on a major in computer science, I took our daughters to see the fine arts department at one school, and visited with women who are a professor of interior design, a biochemist, and a chemical engineer/turned industrial engineer/turned computer science lecturer/women in engineering adviser, at another.

Meanwhile I’ve been reading, a lot. And when my kids have a short moment where they’re not doing homework, I try to squeeze in the chance to impart a small amount of my gained knowledge to them. They would roll their eyes at that “small part” statement. I’ve started to recognize their expressions of long suffering as the settle in to wait out what I have to say. I would have liked to say that I “discuss” what I read with them. That’s always my intention, but before I know it it turns into some type of monologue until I finally sputter to the end. I’ve got to work on that!

I have notes and notes on what I’m reading that I’ve yet to turn into any type of coherent summaries and thoughts on the books. (Actually, I had no intention on taking notes, but I just can’t help myself.) Until I do, here’s part of my recent and current reading list:

Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life, William Deresiewicz

(For my thoughts before I read this book, based on an article reviewing it, see my post Back to School – High School anxiety.)

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Carol Dweck

The Path to Purpose: Helping Our Children to Find Their Calling in Life, William Damon

I’ve also recently watched The Complete Up Series, which has given me some interesting things to contemplate along with my reading.

From Amazon, ” ‘Give me the child until he is seven and I will give you the man.’ Starting in 1964 with Seven Up, The UP Series has explored this Jesuit maxim. The original concept was to interview 14 children from diverse backgrounds from all over England, asking them about their lives and their dreams for the future. Every seven years, renowned director Michael Apted, a researcher for Seven Up, has been back to talk to them, examining the progression of their lives.”

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Filed Under: Education, homework, Success

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