The Student, Michael S. Roth
The Student, Michael S. Roth
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The Student

Author: Michael S. Roth

Narrator: Eric Meyers

Unabridged: 7 hr 4 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/12/2023


Synopsis

From the president of Wesleyan University, an illuminating history of the student, spanning from antiquity to Zoom
In this sweeping book, Michael S. Roth narrates a vivid and dynamic history of students, exploring some of the principal models for learning that have developed in very different contexts, from the sixth century BCE to the present.
Beginning with the followers of Confucius, Socrates, and Jesus and moving to medieval apprentices, students at Enlightenment centers of learning, and learners enrolled in twenty-first-century universities, he explores how students have been followers, interlocutors, disciples, rebels, and children becoming adults. There are many ways to be a student, Roth argues, but at their core is developing the capacity to think for oneself by learning from others, and thereby finding freedom.
In an age of machine learning, this book celebrates the student who develops more than mastery, cultivating curiosity, judgment, creativity, and an ability to keep learning beyond formal schooling. Roth shows how the student throughout history has been someone who interacts dynamically with the world, absorbing its lessons and creatively responding to them.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Reed on October 29, 2023

In his Meditations, Emperor Marcus Aurelius thanks his grandfather for keeping him out of school, describing it as one of the most significant gifts of his life. Although Marcus was an avid pupil of Stoic philosophy, most Romans of his class endured a curriculum of rote memorization that left them i......more

Goodreads review by Nazmiye Gül on January 31, 2025

Such a well-written mini history about being a student. Especially the things about Confucius, Socrates and Jesus were so eye-opening. I mean, can you imagine being a student of theirs? Because this book is giving powerful insights about their theories and especially their teacherships. And when you......more

Goodreads review by David on January 02, 2025

Simultaneously the most boring and most eye opening non fiction book experience of 2024. A significant portion of this book is a commentary on student-hood in the contemporary American college context. In order to show us how ideas of "student-hood" have evolved in modernity, Roth must first convinc......more

Goodreads review by Susan on February 21, 2025

AI is transforming education by personalizing learning, automating administrative tasks, and enhancing student engagement. Teachers can use AI to streamline grading and adapt lessons, while students benefit from AI-driven tutoring and instant feedback. Schools leverage AI for better resource managem......more

Goodreads review by Amit on February 17, 2024

While being a short historical account of the evolution of a typical student or what it means to be one, it is also quite engaging and fluid to read. I felt that the takeaways from the book were higher than most of the books I picked up when trying to learn more about a certain topic. It could have......more