DIY U: Edupunks, Edupreneurs, and the Coming Transformation of Higher Education: Anya Kamenetz. Link.

The price of college tuition has increased more than any other major good or service for the last twenty years. Nine out of ten American high school seniors aspire to go to college, yet the United States has fallen from world leader to only the tenth most educated nation. Almost half of college students don’t graduate; those who do have unprecedented levels of federal and private student loan debt, which constitutes a credit bubble similar to the mortgage crisis.

Going Broke by Degree: Why College Costs Too Much, Richard Vedder.  Link

Economist Richard Vedder examines the causes of the college tuition crisis and explores ways to reverse this alarming trend.

The Global AChievement Gap: Why Even Our Best Schools Don’t Teach the New Survival Skills Our Children Need–and What We Can Do About It. Tony Wagner,  Link

In The Global Achievement Gap, education expert Tony Wagner situates our school problems in the larger context of the demands of the global knowledge economy. With insights gained from visits to classrooms in leading suburban schools, he analyzes performance by considering the skills needed to get a good job and become a productive citizen. Highlighting discussions with young people and the adults who work with them, Wagner also explains the ways in which today’s generation is differently motivated to excel.

Crisis on Campus: A Bold Plan for Reforming Our Colleges and Universities. Mark C. Taylor.  Link