With college tuition at an all-time high, many in higher education are explicitly promoting the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). For example, Governor Scott in Florida may reduce tuition in STEM fields at state institutions. Others argue for the enduring value of a broad-based liberal arts education as a means to enhance critical thinking and communication skills. Steve Yoder wrote a balanced article in The Fiscal Times, helpfully exploring both sides of the issue. A few excerpts: The number of liberal arts colleges nationwide has dropped from 212 in 1990 … [Read more...] about Are the Liberal Arts Dead?
Archives for June 2013
Randy Alcorn’s new graphic novel Eternity
Randy Alcorn has just released a graphic novel called Eternity. It'd be a great giveaway for a teen or pre-teen boy who enjoys comic books (even if he's never read the Bible or heard about Jesus). I was invited to offer an endorsement, and here's what I wrote: "Randy Alcorn's Eternity is an engaging, biblically faithful, and beautifully illustrated retelling of Jesus' story of a rich man and Lazarus, a beggar, both of whom die and have their fortunes immediately reversed (Luke 16:19-31). But it's more than that. Alcorn used this story to unpack the weighty realities of heaven, hell, and the … [Read more...] about Randy Alcorn’s new graphic novel Eternity
Is college worth it?
Yesterday I watched Dr. William J. Bennett, David Wilezol, Dr. Richard Vedder, and others address the value of a college degree in today's economy. The discussion was centered on a new book from Bennett and Wilezol entitled Is College Worth It?: A Former United States Secretary of Education and a Liberal Arts Graduate Expose the Broken Promise of Higher Education. The video of the brief lectures and panel discussion have been made available, and here is something of a summary post about the event. I've picked up the book and started to read it. Thus far, their thesis seems to be that … [Read more...] about Is college worth it?
A Letter From Dad
This man's son had a short life full of meaning: … [Read more...] about A Letter From Dad
Steve Jobs Movie – Releases Aug. 16
This film just might be insanely great. There's no official trailer yet, and not much of a website, but the casting looks terrific in this one minute clip: One more thing: The biography on Jobs by Walter Isaacson is terrific. … [Read more...] about Steve Jobs Movie – Releases Aug. 16
The Distinct, Positive Impact of a Good Dad
Bradford Wilcox, writing for The Atlantic, opens this way: I understand where Jennifer Aniston is coming from. Like many of her peers in Hollywood, not to mention scholars and writers opining on fatherhood these days, she has come to the conclusion that dads are dispensable: "Women are realizing it more and more knowing that they don't have to settle with a man just to have that child," she said at a press conference a few years ago. … [Read more...] about The Distinct, Positive Impact of a Good Dad