What kind of life do you really want to be living? What kind of life has meaning for you? And if you have children, and even, like me, have ones thinkinga about college, what kind of life should they be thinking about? This was a true privilege to speak with William Deresiewicz and hear his thoughts on these questions.

Is college pointless? Is an “elite education” more about networking than learning? Returning guest William Deresiewicz has been pondering these questions for more than a decade. They were the subject of his bestselling 2014 book Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life. T

Send us a Text Message. Bill Deresiewicz, a former Yale professor, and Aaron Pete discuss how liberal arts degrees impact personal development, the challenges in higher education, and the importance of diverse perspectives and mentors in building a democratic society. Support the Show. www.biggerthanmepodcast.com

William Deresiewicz — author of (the newly updated) Excellent Sheep, The Death of the Artist, and The End of Solitude — returns to the pod! This time we dive into one of the institutions we love to hate: elite universities. We dwell on and debate the protests at Columbia (et al.), the reasons why it’s all gone so wrong

William Deresiewicz — author of Excellent Sheep, The Death of the Artist, and The End of Solitude — has lived many lives. He’s been an orthodox Jewish boy who lost his faith; a journalism school student unimpressed by the pretensions of the profession; a literature professor who (blasphemously) loved books and teaching

Bill Deresiewicz takes us on a fascinating journey through over 30 years of razor-sharp reflection on culture and society. How is the internet changing us? Why should we go to college? What is the purpose of art? What does it mean to be an individual and how do we retain our individuality in such a networked society? T