The Case against Education: Why the Education System Is a Waste of Time and Money

Paperback / softback

Main Details

Title The Case against Education: Why the Education System Is a Waste of Time and Money
Authors and Contributors      Afterword by Bryan Caplan
By (author) Bryan Caplan
Physical Properties
Format:Paperback / softback
Pages:424
Dimensions(mm): Height 203,Width 133
Category/GenreEconomics
ISBN/Barcode 9780691196459
ClassificationsDewey:370.973
Audience
Tertiary Education (US: College)
Professional & Vocational
Illustrations 45 b/w illus. 17 tables.

Publishing Details

Publisher Princeton University Press
Imprint Princeton University Press
Publication Date 20 August 2019
Publication Country United States

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.

Author Biography

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

Reviews

"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