42 pages • 1 hour read
William DeresiewiczExcellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2014A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
Excellent Sheep by William Deresiewicz critiques 21st-century elite education in America, particularly Ivy League institutions, revealing their failure to cultivate independent thinking and meaningful lives in students. Divided into four sections—“Sheep,” “Self,” “Schools,” and “Society”—the book explores the stifling conformity among elite students, the purpose of higher education, the importance of the humanities, and the broader societal impacts of an exclusive, stratified educational system.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
William Deresiewicz's Excellent Sheep has garnered mixed reviews. Critics praise its bold critique of elite education, highlighting the intellectual and emotional deficits it creates in students. However, some feel the arguments are occasionally overgeneralized and paint an overly bleak picture. Overall, it sparks vital conversations about the purpose of higher education.
Who Should Read Excellent Sheep?
Readers who enjoyed Excellent Sheep by William Deresiewicz are typically critical thinkers and academics interested in higher education reform and student well-being. Comparable works include Academically Adrift by Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa and The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt.