Excellence Without a Soul
| Author | Harry R. Lewis |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | higher education |
| Publisher | PublicAffairs |
Publication date | 2006 |
| Publication place | United States |
| ISBN | 1-58648-501-6 |
Presidents, deans, and professors rarely tell students simple truths, for example that the strategizing and diligence that got them into the college of their choice may not, if followed thoughtlessly, lead to an adult life they will find worth living.
The old ideal of a liberal education lives on in name only. No longer does Harvard teach the things that will free the human mind and spirit.
Excellence Without A Soul: How a Great University Forgot Education (reissued as Excellence Without a Soul: Does Liberal Education Have a Future?) is a 2006 book by Harry R. Lewis (Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science at Harvard University's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences) examining the state of American higher education, with particular reference to Harvard. It attracted considerable attention for its trenchant analysis of undergraduate education, much of it based on his experience as dean of Harvard College from 1995 to 2003.[1][2][3]
It has been translated into Chinese and Korean.
References
- ^ Shea, Christopher (July 6, 2006). "Poison Ivy: A Harvard man urges the school to redefine its mission". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
- ^ Gasarch, William (March 1, 2007). "Review of Excellence Without a Soul: How a Great University Forgot Education by Harry Lewis, Public Affairs, 290 pages". ACM SIGACT News. 38 (1): 9–13. doi:10.1145/1233481.1233486.
- ^ Sleeper, Jim (May 28, 2006). "Examining the Crimson's civic slide". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on March 7, 2007. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
External links
- Official Website
- Discussion on C-SPAN
- Transcript of Discussion Reported in The Washington Post