Yesterday I watched Dr. William J. Bennett, David Wilezol, Dr. Richard Vedder, and others address the value of a college degree in today's economy. The discussion was centered on a new book from Bennett and Wilezol entitled Is College Worth It?: A Former United States Secretary of Education and a Liberal Arts Graduate Expose the Broken Promise of Higher Education. The video of the brief lectures and panel discussion have been made available, and here is something of a summary post about the event. I've picked up the book and started to read it. Thus far, their thesis seems to be that … [Read more...] about Is college worth it?
A Letter From Dad
This man's son had a short life full of meaning: … [Read more...] about A Letter From Dad
Steve Jobs Movie – Releases Aug. 16
This film just might be insanely great. There's no official trailer yet, and not much of a website, but the casting looks terrific in this one minute clip: One more thing: The biography on Jobs by Walter Isaacson is terrific. … [Read more...] about Steve Jobs Movie – Releases Aug. 16
The Distinct, Positive Impact of a Good Dad
Bradford Wilcox, writing for The Atlantic, opens this way: I understand where Jennifer Aniston is coming from. Like many of her peers in Hollywood, not to mention scholars and writers opining on fatherhood these days, she has come to the conclusion that dads are dispensable: "Women are realizing it more and more knowing that they don't have to settle with a man just to have that child," she said at a press conference a few years ago. … [Read more...] about The Distinct, Positive Impact of a Good Dad
Does International Child Sponsorship Work?
Joe Carter helpfully summarizes a peer-reviewed, independent study on the viability of international child sponsorship led by Bruce Wydick, professor of economics and international studies at the University of San Francisco. Key findings: Former Compassion sponsored children stay in school 1 to 1.5 years longer than their non-sponsored peers (In Uganda, the numbers are much higher—2.4 years). An extra year of schooling could have long-lasting impact on a child’s future employment possibilities as an adult. Former Compassion sponsored children were 27-40 percent more likely to finish … [Read more...] about Does International Child Sponsorship Work?
How Do Young Atheists Arrive at Unbelief?
Great article last week in The Atlantic by Larry Alex Taunton called Listening to Young Atheists: Lessons for a Stronger Christianity. Tauton discusses a research project in which college students from the "atheist equivalents to Campus Crusade"--the Secular Student Alliances (SSA) and the Freethought Societies (FS)--were asked to tell their story of how they came to embrace atheism. A few common themes emerged: 1. Most became atheists for emotional reasons while claiming to have become atheists for rationale/scientific reasons. 2. They grew up attending church, but the mission and … [Read more...] about How Do Young Atheists Arrive at Unbelief?