The Smartest Kids In The World: And How They Got That Way (2013) - Plot & Excerpts
This is a very good commentary on the public education system around the world. Her claims were backed up by good evidence and the children highlighted in the book provided interesting commentary. That said, the author sounded a little pretentious in the book. Her tone sounded like she felt she was better and more educated then the reader. She acted like she was 100% right about every single one of her claims in the book. This of course could never be true given she is a journalist not a sociologist and she made so many claims to begin with, odds are at least a copule are false. The author also seemed to be a race to nowhere parent, demanding schools increase work and pressure on students, which as we have seen in Japan would cause are already high suicide rate to sky rocket. On top of this she was in favor of the commen core which could quite possibly be one of the worst things ever to happen to the american public education system. Its a interesting read but can be boring and lengthy at times. Ripley gave insight into how three nations have risen to the top in academic performance. Although they each have drastically different approaches to education, a strong case is made as to why America's educational system doesn't work. She had help from three American exchange students, each from different parts of the United States. I was skeptical as to how a reporter could present his/her case without significant bias, as the media is heavily affected by personal beliefs/opinions. However, Ripley did her research and received information from direct sources, which were all high school students who were completely foreign to the educational institutions/policies of the schools they attended overseas.
What do You think about The Smartest Kids In The World: And How They Got That Way (2013)?
Fantastic book that I highly recommend to anyone who cares about education.
—Ruby
Fascinating. I was quoting it all over the place.
—rick
