Possibly the most accurate and undeniable condemnation of American education that I’ve encountered. Thoughtful and without any hesitation to cut through the bullshit, Deresiewicz wrote a total mic drop of a book. It left me impassioned and disillusioned at the same time. I’m left disgusted by the ridiculous theatrics of elite eduction, yet it’s not because he opened my eyes to something I had no ideas about already. In a sense so much of what he said I already knew, but he gave me a stern talking to finally stop and stare it in the face. I appreciate how thoroughly he described all dimensions of this stupid system because through this you cannot deny how absurdist education has become. I always thought I rolled my eyes at Harvard grads, but now I roll my eyes even more. Literally thank you to this author for smacking all vestiges of “meritocracy” out of my head. One of the most important books I’ve read recently. A non narrative nonfiction book that kept me up late reading as if it were a thriller. I genuinely feel like this book by this author is my first experience with a fully honest person.