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noattention's review against another edition
4.0
Very quick review of the drive, and often lunacy, of extreme Christian students. The author shows a bit of bias against them throughout, but I'm not sure anyone could stick with most these kids. Much of their behavior is shocking, though some have redeeming qualities. There's an incongruous subplot about a popular rogue teacher; it doesn't quite connect with the main narrative. But overall I learned a lot in just a few pages.
slc54hiwi's review against another edition
3.0
Recently finished this one and found it somewhat interesting. Patrick Henry College is an interesting phenomenon and probably worthy of serious study or analysis but this book doesn't provide either.
Written more like a multi-part "Style" or "Religion" article in a newspaper, the book just skims the surfaces of several important & interesting things: homeschooling & secondary education for homeschool graduates; the inter-twining of religion and politics; the clash within PHC's moral structure of the patriarchal form of Christianity it promotes versus educating bright young women to be political activists; the emotional engineering of male/female relationships (e.g., the "emotional purity" standard & courtship).
I guess we'll have to wait for social scientists to produce research on these topics before we can see a serious account of any of them.
Written more like a multi-part "Style" or "Religion" article in a newspaper, the book just skims the surfaces of several important & interesting things: homeschooling & secondary education for homeschool graduates; the inter-twining of religion and politics; the clash within PHC's moral structure of the patriarchal form of Christianity it promotes versus educating bright young women to be political activists; the emotional engineering of male/female relationships (e.g., the "emotional purity" standard & courtship).
I guess we'll have to wait for social scientists to produce research on these topics before we can see a serious account of any of them.
kminahan's review against another edition
3.0
Even the least politically aware Americans among us cannot fail to see the dramatic rise of the Christian Right in the last few decades. Extremists have taken center stage in a way that they hadn't since the days of Scopes. God's Harvard profiles Patrick Henry College, one of the educational bastions of this movement, and it's students. Although Rosin makes her own religous and political views clear from the beginning, she does a good job of presenting a balanced view of PHC. She does not treat it as an abnormality, something which would be quite easy to do.
One of the most important questions this book poses is whether an evangelical Christian worldview is really compatible with higher education. While Rosin refrains overtly stating her view, it seems clear from the students and professors she presents that this compatibility is anything but certain. It is telling that many of the rock stars of PHC have departed--or been driven out. Still, it is undeniable that PHC is, at least in some circles, a force to be reckoned with. It will be interesting to see what the coming years bring for this college, and for our country.
One of the most important questions this book poses is whether an evangelical Christian worldview is really compatible with higher education. While Rosin refrains overtly stating her view, it seems clear from the students and professors she presents that this compatibility is anything but certain. It is telling that many of the rock stars of PHC have departed--or been driven out. Still, it is undeniable that PHC is, at least in some circles, a force to be reckoned with. It will be interesting to see what the coming years bring for this college, and for our country.
sdeemoore's review against another edition
1.0
Even Jon Stewart laid the smack down on this lady... *Updated* LMAO.
radioactiv's review against another edition
2.0
Interesting idea material at points but has serious issues with partiality and suffers from a lack of in-depth analysis.
holtfan's review against another edition
To be fair, enough years have passed since I read it that I barely remember this book. It was brought to my attention again, though, by a friend's reccomendation.
I couldn't remember it well enough to give a review, I just remember getting ticked at the author. While I don't trust my own words, then,I do trust Michael Zeller. For those Gen Jers who are familiar with him, this is what he said about the book:
"Rant]
God's Harvard is little more than a poorly researched op-ed on modern evangelical culture. Her philosophy of writing seems to be that the way to get a good picture of a sub-culture is to take the most extreme people, caricature them, and then say, "this is the way these people are, aren't they weird? Now buy my book."
[/Rant]
Sorry, I had friends who were mis-quoted, mis-characterized, and mocked in "God's Harvard" so I am a bit sensitive about anyone using that book as an authority. "
I would thus NOT reccomned taking this book at face value.
I couldn't remember it well enough to give a review, I just remember getting ticked at the author. While I don't trust my own words, then,I do trust Michael Zeller. For those Gen Jers who are familiar with him, this is what he said about the book:
"Rant]
God's Harvard is little more than a poorly researched op-ed on modern evangelical culture. Her philosophy of writing seems to be that the way to get a good picture of a sub-culture is to take the most extreme people, caricature them, and then say, "this is the way these people are, aren't they weird? Now buy my book."
[/Rant]
Sorry, I had friends who were mis-quoted, mis-characterized, and mocked in "God's Harvard" so I am a bit sensitive about anyone using that book as an authority. "
I would thus NOT reccomned taking this book at face value.
letitiaharmon's review against another edition
1.0
Since I could essentially write an entire thesis inspired by this book, I will attempt to keep my comments brief for the sake of this review, but I apologize in advance for verbosity.
Rosin's diatribe on the recently founded Patrick Henry college unfortunately alienated me even in the introduction, where home education is described as "a relic of the age of separatism and retreat." I nevertheless attempted to suspend my judgment until I had read the thing cover to cover.
Having done so, I will emphatically agree with the author on a key point: Patrick Henry was a failed experiment, based on a not-so-bad idea. However, Rosin's methods for arriving at this conclusion in no way resemble the stellar journalism for which she is praised in the reviews of this work. Her statements are broad, sweeping, and demeaning to a large scope of people belonging to factions and segments that she has never met nor interviewed. Her strategic placement of words like "pretension" or significant emphasis on particular randomly placed quotes leaves little doubt as to her bias, which she is certainly allowed, but which overwhelms the nature of her reporting.
While easily delving into the ridiculous aspects of this institution, she simultaneously seems to overlook good qualities in her students, simply because they are so strange. She speaks condescendingly of a boy who is grateful to God for everything, choosing not to contrast him with the bitching, whiny, entitled teenager Americans have come to expect, even while she subtlely questions the morality of boys who choose to play the game Halo.
Ultimately my foremost criticism of this book is simply that it lumps all Evangelical Christians into this particular bubble that she experienced in a very tiny microchosm of conservative religious educators. I would simply advise readers of this: when encountering the author's broad and libelous statements regarding all Evangelical Conservative Christians, keep this in mind: I was home schooled, I am politically conservative, I am an Evangelical Christian, and I disagree completely with Michael Farris' lifestyle, philosophy, and political agenda. The tendency of the liberal audience who will read this book is to assume we are out to get you and destroy life as you know it. Just trust me on this: we're not.
Rosin's diatribe on the recently founded Patrick Henry college unfortunately alienated me even in the introduction, where home education is described as "a relic of the age of separatism and retreat." I nevertheless attempted to suspend my judgment until I had read the thing cover to cover.
Having done so, I will emphatically agree with the author on a key point: Patrick Henry was a failed experiment, based on a not-so-bad idea. However, Rosin's methods for arriving at this conclusion in no way resemble the stellar journalism for which she is praised in the reviews of this work. Her statements are broad, sweeping, and demeaning to a large scope of people belonging to factions and segments that she has never met nor interviewed. Her strategic placement of words like "pretension" or significant emphasis on particular randomly placed quotes leaves little doubt as to her bias, which she is certainly allowed, but which overwhelms the nature of her reporting.
While easily delving into the ridiculous aspects of this institution, she simultaneously seems to overlook good qualities in her students, simply because they are so strange. She speaks condescendingly of a boy who is grateful to God for everything, choosing not to contrast him with the bitching, whiny, entitled teenager Americans have come to expect, even while she subtlely questions the morality of boys who choose to play the game Halo.
Ultimately my foremost criticism of this book is simply that it lumps all Evangelical Christians into this particular bubble that she experienced in a very tiny microchosm of conservative religious educators. I would simply advise readers of this: when encountering the author's broad and libelous statements regarding all Evangelical Conservative Christians, keep this in mind: I was home schooled, I am politically conservative, I am an Evangelical Christian, and I disagree completely with Michael Farris' lifestyle, philosophy, and political agenda. The tendency of the liberal audience who will read this book is to assume we are out to get you and destroy life as you know it. Just trust me on this: we're not.
vhp's review against another edition
1.0
Totally disappointed that the information on the school and its students weren't written about without bias and obvious patronizing condescension.
She poked fun at homeschoolers, Christians, Conservatives and everything that obviously doesn't fit her own opinion. Little House on the Prairie, whitewashed brains,and every Christian goes online to look up opinions.
This book was nothing more than a long version of a second rate op-ed. Such a waste of paper. Thankfully I borrowed it from the library, otherwise I would have put it to good use as kindle.
I wanted to learn more about the school and what I learned was the opinion of the author.
She poked fun at homeschoolers, Christians, Conservatives and everything that obviously doesn't fit her own opinion. Little House on the Prairie, whitewashed brains,and every Christian goes online to look up opinions.
This book was nothing more than a long version of a second rate op-ed. Such a waste of paper. Thankfully I borrowed it from the library, otherwise I would have put it to good use as kindle.
I wanted to learn more about the school and what I learned was the opinion of the author.
rachreads925's review against another edition
4.0
The book is interesting and informative. I loved the people that the author had focused on, I wish she had more of a "after they graduated, here is what they are up to..." considering how much time she spent telling their stories. I knew a decent amount about the homeschooling movement, but not about what they do after they finish high school so that was part of why I read it. The history of the school and the movements that it comes from were interesting. The book was a bit repetitive at points though. I think the book was meant to scare liberal readers, but now reading the book about 10 years later - its a lot less scary.
lanikei's review against another edition
5.0
I read this probably a year ago (or more even?) and just kept putting off a review because I had so much I wanted to say about it. At this point, I don't really remember what I wanted to say anymore, so I guess I may as well clear out my currently-reading list.
Basically, I grabbed this because its about a school located very close to my parents' house. I'd never heard of it, and the title was interesting.
I thought it was FASCINATING. Rather like the movie Jesus Camp in that it revealed Christian fundamentalists that I wasn't fully aware existed.
I didn't think the book was overly negative in tone, though many of the people interviewed did plenty of damage on their own. Some of the kids were downright creepy, but I at least respect that they are able to pursue higher education in a welcoming community and most of them seem VERY passionate about their future and the future of the country - even if it isn't necessarily a future I agree with.
Absolutely worth a read if you enjoyed Jesus Camp, or if you are intrigued by Christian fundamentalism. I'm not sure how the people represented in the book feel - is it an accurate depiction? I'd be curious to know.
I'll have to pick it up again sometime and reevaluate.
*****
Read 7/29/2013
My early review still stands pretty well. It's not the best book structurally, but it's definitely interesting enough to make up for it.
On this time through I was particularly intrigued by the struggles that the female students were having with their future roles.
Basically, I grabbed this because its about a school located very close to my parents' house. I'd never heard of it, and the title was interesting.
I thought it was FASCINATING. Rather like the movie Jesus Camp in that it revealed Christian fundamentalists that I wasn't fully aware existed.
I didn't think the book was overly negative in tone, though many of the people interviewed did plenty of damage on their own. Some of the kids were downright creepy, but I at least respect that they are able to pursue higher education in a welcoming community and most of them seem VERY passionate about their future and the future of the country - even if it isn't necessarily a future I agree with.
Absolutely worth a read if you enjoyed Jesus Camp, or if you are intrigued by Christian fundamentalism. I'm not sure how the people represented in the book feel - is it an accurate depiction? I'd be curious to know.
I'll have to pick it up again sometime and reevaluate.
*****
Read 7/29/2013
My early review still stands pretty well. It's not the best book structurally, but it's definitely interesting enough to make up for it.
On this time through I was particularly intrigued by the struggles that the female students were having with their future roles.