John Sexton argues that over six decades, a "secular dogmatism," impenetrable by dialogue or reason, has come to dominate political discourse in America. Political positions, elevated to the status of doctrinal truths, now simply are "revealed." Our leaders and our citizens suffer from an allergy to nuance and complexity; and the enterprise of thought is in danger. Sexton sees our universities, the engines of knowledge and stewards of thought, as the antidote, and he describes the policies university leaders must embrace if their institutions are to serve this role. Then, acknowledging the reality of our increasingly interconnected world, and drawing on his experience as president of New York University when it opened campuses in Shanghai and Abu Dhabi, Sexton advocates for "global network universities" as a core aspect of a new educational landscape and as the crucial foundation blocks of an interlocking world characterized by "secular ecumenism."

From the schools of ancient times to the present day, Gary Thomas looks at how and why education evolved as it has. By exploring some of the big questions, he examines the ways in which schools work, considers the differences around the world, and concludes by considering the future of education worldwide.

"This intensely human and caring book is a testament to a life devoted to the possibilities inherent in every one of us. It is, as John Holt writes, 'a book for teachers, for parents, for children or friends of children, for anyone who cares about education. It is about learning and above all some of the ways in which, in school or out, we might help children learn better and perhaps learn better ourselves.' What Do I Do Monday? combines Mr. Holt's theories of education--the idea of learning as a growth process, a moving and expanding of the child into the world around him; a belief that we learn best when we feel the wholeness and openness of the world around us, and our own freedom and power and competence in it--with practical, easy-to-use ideas and exercises in reading, writing, and mathematics. By helping us to see the conditions necessary for learning, John Holt has also provided every parent and teacher with a way to begin to make the changes desperately needed in our schools and school systems."--Jacket. For teachers and parents who want to help children learn better.

Addresses the challenge of providing quality public education in a democratic society and the need to fuse vocational and contemplative studies into a universal education.