This Book Is Not Required: An Emotional and Intellectual Survival Manual for Students

This edition of an underground classic marks out new territory in college participatory education. Its purpose remains the same: to encourage students to educate themselves by calling their attention to the college experience as a whole: the personal, social, intellectual, and spiritual demands and opportunities presented by college life.

In a personable and refreshingly straightforward style, the authors’ critical discussion of academic life distinguishes between learning the institutional rules of higher education and internalizing those rules, demystifies professors and teaching assistants by discussing their institutional roles and incentives, and invites students to take responsibility for - and make the most of - their educational experiences.

New to this edition:

Offers real-life student vignettes that address current issues facing college students

Encourages a participatory college education and personal reflection for students in many different disciplines

Includes three bonus appendices: For Teachers and Students Using this Book ; A Primer on ‘Buddhist Sociology’ Pioneered by Inge Bell ; and Short Biographies of the ‘Team Bell’ Members