The Sunday Read: ‘The Man Who Couldn’t Stop Going to College’

Educated: A Memoir is Tara Westover’s autobiography. In it, she shows us her transformation from being the daughter of survivalist, fundamentalist, anti-science, anti-medicine, and anti-education parents, to becoming a Cambridge-educated historian. Westover gains the strength to break free from the ideological chains of her youth and discovers the agency to make her own choices about how she sees and experiences the world.

While it is about one individual’s journey, Educated speaks to universal themes of self-liberation, the power of education, the perils of extreme ideology, and the trauma of domestic abuse.

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis examines the spiritual and social decline of the Appalachian white working class through the life story of its author, JD Vance. Growing up in a post-industrial Ohio town, Vance encountered the symptoms of community and familial dysfunction—drug and alcohol abuse, unstable marriages, lack of education, and evasion of hard work—that underscore the failing values of the culture from which he came.

Although Vance eventually escapes the poverty and dysfunction of his roots, attending college and Yale Law School, he finds that even economic mobility can never permanently erase the social markers of his hillbilly upbringing.

Elite colleges perpetuate socioeconomic inequality and produce intelligent adults who are skillful but uninspired and disconnected. The solution is to dismantle the elite schooling system and build a system that provides free, high-quality education to everyone who wants it.

Do you donate to charity because you care? Or are you lying to yourself and others about the true reason? In The Elephant in the Brain, software engineer Kevin Simler and economics professor Robin Hanson controversially argue that human behavior is driven by selfish motives—and that your own brain is hiding them from you. These hidden motives shape everything from our conversations and purchasing decisions to our schools and health care systems. The authors say if we learn to recognize these “elephants,” we can improve our individual behaviors and our social institutions.

As we explore Simler and Hanson’s theories, we’ll cover topics like why we’re constantly deceiving each other, why charitable giving is actually selfish, and why the purpose of education is to certify future employees. Along the way, we’ll challenge some of the authors’ arguments by providing alternative explanations, and we’ll explain how you can put their insights to work in your own life.

To live up to your potential, you need a direction to strive for while honing your abilities and pushing yourself to your limits. In Be Useful, Arnold Schwarzenegger lays out his principles for achieving success and making an impact, first by defining your ambitions and then using your achievements to better the lives of others. He argues that by “being useful” you'll find satisfaction, build strong relationships, and lead a more purposeful life.

Schwarzenegger brings a unique perspective from his career as a world-renowned bodybuilder, movie star, and politician. In this guide, we’ll lay out Schwarzenegger’s advice for finding your purpose, adopting a positive mindset, and fully committing to your work. We’ll also compare Schwarzenegger’s ideas with those of other motivational writers and experts on lifelong personal development. Lastly, we’ll explore how Schwarzenegger’s experiences propelled him toward achieving his dreams and led him to value a life of public service.

Elite colleges perpetuate socioeconomic inequality and produce intelligent adults who are skillful but uninspired and disconnected. The solution is to dismantle the elite schooling system and build a system that provides free, high-quality education to everyone who wants it.

A recent study shows most colleges significantly increase their graduates' earnings, even as public confidence in the value of higher education is declining. The 2008 financial crisis, Covid-19 pandemic, swelling tuition and student loan debts, and some colleges’ poor return on investment are fueling Americans’ skepticism about the value of a college degree.

Elite colleges and universities in the US typically accept less than 10% of applicants, but their influence stretches far beyond this small group. In Excellent Sheep, author and former Yale professor William Deresiewicz makes the case that these institutions’ influence is negative. He argues that they’re so selective and profit-oriented that they contribute to social inequality and deprive students of high-quality learning.

In this guide, we’ll examine two problems with elite US colleges and universities and explain why Deresiewicz claims they harm both society and students. Then, we’ll explore solutions by describing how governments, schools, and parents can collectively overhaul US higher education—and how today’s students can make the most of their college years in the meantime. As we explore these ideas, we’ll fact-check the author’s claims by providing both supportive evidence and counterexamples. We’ll also discuss ways in which some elite US schools have changed since the publication of Excellent Sheep in 2014. Furthermore, we’ll supplement the author’s ideas with actionable steps.

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis examines the spiritual and social decline of the Appalachian white working class through the life story of its author, JD Vance. Growing up in a post-industrial Ohio town, Vance encountered the symptoms of community and familial dysfunction—drug and alcohol abuse, unstable marriages, lack of education, and evasion of hard work—that underscore the failing values of the culture from which he came.

Although Vance eventually escapes the poverty and dysfunction of his roots, attending college and Yale Law School, he finds that even economic mobility can never permanently erase the social markers of his hillbilly upbringing.

How you handle your finances determines whether you succeed in life. In the Total Money Makeover, radio talk show host and author Dave Ramsey lays out simple steps for freeing yourself from debt and setting yourself up for success: following a monthly budget, buying only what you can afford, eliminating consumer debt, saving for emergencies, investing for retirement and your kids’ college education, and paying off your mortgage. Intended for everyone—from high earners to people thousands of dollars in debt—Ramsey’s common-sense principles put you in control of your money and your life.

Are you trying to run a company, manage employees, or lead a team? Then take a lesson from ex-football coach Bill Campbell, who mentored tech giants at Apple, Google, Intuit, eBay, and Facebook. Campbell believed that teams, not individuals, are the fundamental building blocks of organizations. Leaders can help their team be more productive, more innovative, and just plain happier by leading like a coach, not just a manager.

Good coaches employ encouragement, honesty, and caring to help every team member flourish. Business leaders should do the same, infusing their workplaces with compassion and people-first values that inspire employees to do their best work—and love their jobs. To win at business, show your team members you care about them, and they'll produce extraordinary results.