Take a photo of a barcode or cover
tsarmatt's review against another edition
3.0
Plenty of interesting and thought-provoking points, but is weighed down by pages and pages of rambling on the history of western philosophy that is at best inaccessible and at worst a complete waste of time.
armedaphrodite's review against another edition
challenging
informative
sad
slow-paced
1.0
Less a book of philosophy, more a book of someone hopelessly in love with philosophers. The second and third parts of the book do have some engaging philosophical enquiries and some anti post-structuralist arguments, though meandering for sure. But the first part reads somewhere between a poor attempt to make a modern argument for the intertwining of erotic love and philosophy based on misreads of classical philosophy on the one hand, and an admission of pederasty on the other (which, given his friend Saul Bellow's depiction of him in Ravelstein, may not be far off).
I think the line that perfectly encapsulates this book is, "Young people know that rock [music] has the beat of sexual intercourse." Beyond vastly mischaracterizing a whole genre of music (which he calls a "prepackaged masturbatory fantasy") and bringing in his own weird focus on sex, he goes on to try to argue that kids should be "shown the mysteries" by their elders and guides.
I think the line that perfectly encapsulates this book is, "Young people know that rock [music] has the beat of sexual intercourse." Beyond vastly mischaracterizing a whole genre of music (which he calls a "prepackaged masturbatory fantasy") and bringing in his own weird focus on sex, he goes on to try to argue that kids should be "shown the mysteries" by their elders and guides.
dyingst's review against another edition
5.0
an important book that really should be read by everyone in academia, even if you disagree strongly with Bloom's diagnosis
astevaki's review against another edition
2.0
Iconic book, and truly academic. Just not something that I could appreciate or comprehend. Best be well read in philosophy before cracking this spine. Maybe when I'm a grown up my rating will be different.
femmecheng's review against another edition
2.0
This book reminded me of the "old man yells at cloud" meme - very "the youths are wrong" told in the most long-winded and uninteresting way possible.
greg_talbot's review against another edition
1.0
Feebeled young minds of America, watch out! Allan Bloom takes on 'Higher Education'. He attempts to show how its weak-spirited curriculum has little to help the young grow and prosper
into fully realized educated adults.
With heaviness and drama, Bloom explains how contemporary culture - music, books,cultural thought, relationships pale in comparison to the classics. Wistfully he ponders how his pure heart opened with joy when he first came to University of Chicago, and became acquainted with the classic thinkers: Rousseau, Plato, Nietzche.
Bloom is certainly from another time and place (and proud of it!). I can look past the snobbery and high-browed judgement to a degree. The cardinal complaint is just how often Bloom abandons his argument. He mixes personal experience, classical literature and very much his own whipped up opinion on everything in between. It's the effect of someone talking down to you for hours about the good old days, and how poor your experience is. Bloom comes off as an educated idiot: bloated opinions, thoughtless in thoughts and out of touch.
I'm struck by how many complaints of higher education are not even acknowledged in this book.. Bloom's book was written before the astronomical rise of college costs. It was conceived before the 2008 housing depression and jobless recovery. The book was written before the emphasis on "No Child Left Behind" and standardized test mentalities. The
Bloom's book did spawn all types of ideas for me. How can a book be so big, but offer so little? How did this book become a cultural phenomenon in 1987? What is prescriptive here, or is it all naval gazing?
Questioning cultural relativity and questioning the educational model of university programs is the type of book I would be interested in. The leaders that Bloom is enamored with (Marx, Heidegger, Plato) also fascinate me. There is a lot that can be learned from the source material of those thinkers.
Bloom really gets in the way of any argument and prevents any learning experience . There are types I sympathize with some his views, and admire his defense of high art and classical tradition. His praise of great literature in particular was rousing, and I too agree much can be learned from reading it. Frankly the book is more an expression of his own fancies than any well-delivered prescription.
into fully realized educated adults.
With heaviness and drama, Bloom explains how contemporary culture - music, books,cultural thought, relationships pale in comparison to the classics. Wistfully he ponders how his pure heart opened with joy when he first came to University of Chicago, and became acquainted with the classic thinkers: Rousseau, Plato, Nietzche.
Bloom is certainly from another time and place (and proud of it!). I can look past the snobbery and high-browed judgement to a degree. The cardinal complaint is just how often Bloom abandons his argument. He mixes personal experience, classical literature and very much his own whipped up opinion on everything in between. It's the effect of someone talking down to you for hours about the good old days, and how poor your experience is. Bloom comes off as an educated idiot: bloated opinions, thoughtless in thoughts and out of touch.
I'm struck by how many complaints of higher education are not even acknowledged in this book.. Bloom's book was written before the astronomical rise of college costs. It was conceived before the 2008 housing depression and jobless recovery. The book was written before the emphasis on "No Child Left Behind" and standardized test mentalities. The
Bloom's book did spawn all types of ideas for me. How can a book be so big, but offer so little? How did this book become a cultural phenomenon in 1987? What is prescriptive here, or is it all naval gazing?
Questioning cultural relativity and questioning the educational model of university programs is the type of book I would be interested in. The leaders that Bloom is enamored with (Marx, Heidegger, Plato) also fascinate me. There is a lot that can be learned from the source material of those thinkers.
Bloom really gets in the way of any argument and prevents any learning experience . There are types I sympathize with some his views, and admire his defense of high art and classical tradition. His praise of great literature in particular was rousing, and I too agree much can be learned from reading it. Frankly the book is more an expression of his own fancies than any well-delivered prescription.
neilers17's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed a lot of Bloom's thoughts and found him persuasive on many points. However, my interest fizzled out about half-way through.
temazur's review against another edition
4.0
Read it back in college. Dry stuff but very pertinent to American education and even what's still going on today. If you want to find out what's wrong with the country, start at the root, which is how we educate each successive generation.