by Oliver DeMille What if there were an award for “The Book of the Decade”? It would celebrate the most important book of the past ten years, the one that could have made, and still could make, the most positive difference in the world. If there were such an award, I know what my pick would be. Some books deeply matter. They change their … [Read more...]
Summer Reading for YOU
June 14, 2013 by 1 Comment
“Dad, can you read to me more?” Meri asked me. Surprised, I looked up from my book and responded, “Oh, sure.” I took the book she was reading and read a chapter aloud to her. When I finished, I handed her the book. “Thanks, Dad,” she said. “I could have read it myself, but I just love it when you read. I mean, in the winter you read to us … [Read more...]
The Person Most Likely to Save America
June 10, 2013 by 1 Comment
You don’t have be a pessimist to sense that the battle for the soul of America has ramped up sharply over the past few years. Politically, economically, spiritually and culturally, society continues to drift away from the foundational principles upon which our liberty was established. Too many Americans have been trained for generations to … [Read more...]
In Defense of the Manual Arts
May 3, 2013 by 2 Comments
You've read a lot of articles from me promoting a liberal arts education, which we teach at Monticello College. But there is a lesser known side of our curriculum -- the manual arts, which are not something the average American thinks about in the 21st century. But a hundred years ago, the vast majority of Americans were engaged in the manual … [Read more...]
The Study of Liberal Arts: A Search For Self
January 30, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The full spectrum of human nature cannot be taught; it must be discovered. But it is virtually impossible to discover in the modern world of computer games, social media, and texting. Seldom do we see anything but the worst of human nature in the world of politics or in the mansions of materialism or the ivory towers of skepticism. The … [Read more...]
The Fat Lady Begins to Sing
January 21, 2013 by Leave a Comment
And so it begins... The most recent national election declared the passion of the American people for the Nanny State. Of the almost 127 million voters, a majority preferred a governing system that favors high taxes, a saturated welfare system, forced health care, and an abundance of government dependent workers. Apparently we have learned … [Read more...]
Separation of Education & State
January 16, 2013 by 1 Comment
Peeling away the layers of rhetoric from reality in our Public School System, one discovers an interesting paradox; even though Americans enthusiastically support the Separation of Church & State, strangely, they do not feel the same vigor for Separation of Education & State. What are the real differences between religion and … [Read more...]
The Human Spirit
January 14, 2013 by 3 Comments
In spite of the fact that we live in a world dominated by the extreme credentialism, government regulation and oversight, and aristocratic hierarchy prophesied by Alexis de Tocqueville, Americans are still capable of pushing through the social and political miasma that bogs down our society and shine their individual brilliance on a nearly comatose … [Read more...]
The One Thing That Really Annoys Me
June 15, 2012 by 3 Comments
By Oliver DeMille I think I’ve heard every side of the education debate over the past two decades, including different theories of education, the pros and cons of each new educational fad and curriculum, and the opinions of those who support the typical education system versus the many differing views from those who don’t. I find most of this … [Read more...]
Next…?
May 14, 2012 by Leave a Comment
THE NEXT BIG TREND: Pooled Sovereignty by Oliver DeMille I recently spent two days in a Barnes and Noble reading the bestsellers on current trends and issues. I do this as often as I can—at least three times a year. Sometimes I emphasize business bestsellers, and other times I focus on political books. When I was too ill to do these visits … [Read more...]
