Description: A devastating critique of our failure to prepare students for citizenship--and a roadmap to a better way.
Brief description: James Traub has written extensively for America's leading publications, including The New Yorker and the New York Times Magazine. His most recent book, True Believer: Hubert Humphrey's Quest for a More Just America, was longlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Award. He lives in New York.
Review Quotes: Why do American students--and for that matter, adults--know so little about our history and government, and disagree so violently about what they know? James Traub has brought us the answers after a year spent in classrooms. He tells us, first, that we've turned civics into an ideological right-against-left debate, and secondly, that we've stopped asking kids to read and reflect. But he also brings inspiring news: some schools expect a lot from students, and get a lot back. The Cradle of Citizenship is essential reading for anyone who cares about our civic life, and about our schools.--Darren Walker, Ford Foundation president