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The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey Troy Shu Troy Shu Updated at: March 04, 2024 Self-help Personal finance The Total Money MakeoverThe Total Money Makeover What are the big ideas? 1. The Total Money Makeover focuses heavily on changing behavior as the key to financial success, rather than just relying on head knowledge

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From a SwiftRead user: Feels like I just discovered the equivalent of fire but for reading text. WOW, WOW, WOW. A must have for me, forever. Get SwiftRead. It’s free. What are the big ideas? The Total Money Makeover focuses heavily on changing behavior as the key to financial success, rather than just relying on head knowledge (Chapter Introduction). This approach is unique because it recognizes that personal finance is largely influenced by habits and emotions, making a commitment to improving one’s own behavior essential for lasting change. The book openly discusses spiritual aspects of money as an integral part of achieving financial peace and freedom. While some may find this incomplete or unnecessary, the author believes it is vital for addressing the emotional side of money management and helping people overcome denial and obstacles (Chapter What This Book Is NOT). The Total Money Makeover advocates a specific process-driven approach to managing money, from building an emergency fund and eliminating debt to investing in retirement and giving generously. This step-by-step method is distinctive as it offers a clear roadmap for achieving financial freedom (Chapter 5). The book debunks common myths about money and debt, providing accurate and practical information to help individuals take control of their finances. For instance, it challenges the idea that debt consolidation solves the underlying problem of overspending or that you need a high income to get out of debt (Chapter 4). The Total Money Makeover emphasizes the importance of community and support in achieving financial success. By sharing inspiring stories of people who have followed the plan and experienced life-changing results, the author encourages readers to seek guidance from trusted resources and experts, build a network of like-minded individuals, and share their own progress with others (Chapter Meet The Winners of The Total Money Makeover Challenge). Chapter Summaries Introduction Takeaways

Personal finance is 80% behavior and 20% head knowledge Change your life to get out of debt, give, and invest The Total Money Makeover plan is successful because it focuses on changing behavior The process is simple, inspiring, and based on common sense principles Millions have followed this plan and experienced life-changing results. What This Book Is NOT Takeaways

This book is simple and uncomplicated, not sophisticated or complicated. The author has not invented new ideas about money but packaged time-honored information into a process. The book does not mislead about investment returns; 12% is achievable with good growth stock mutual funds over the long term. The author’s credentials come from personal experience and success in applying these principles. The book openly discusses the spiritual aspects of money, making it incomplete for some but necessary for behavior change. The author is confident that this material works based on millions of lives changed. This book is different from the author’s other books as it is a process-driven work. People who follow the plan report life-changing financial freedom, with no complaints from those who do it. Quotes

“Aristotle once said, “To avoid criticism say nothing, do nothing, and be nothing.”

“My grandmother used to say, “Those convinced against their will are of the same opinion still.”

Meet The Winners of The Total Money Makeover Challenge Takeaways

Couple, Chance and Kimberly Morrow, paid off over $56,000 in debt in a year using Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover plan Stopped using all credit cards and set a goal to pay off $10,000 in debt that first year Sold their home with equity to become debt-free and save for six-month emergency fund Epiphany led them to win The Challenge contest and receive $50,000 grand prize Used part of the prize money for church, celebration, and down payment on a house Chance became a Christian and reunited with long-lost son during their journey Four years after starting Total Money Makeover, they were debt-free at age 40 Share their story to inspire others to achieve financial peace and live within their means. The Total Money Makeover Challenge: Feeling Lost and Afraid Takeaways

I felt overwhelmed by debt and lack of control over my finances, leading to fear and hopelessness. My debt prevented me from reaching financial goals like sending kids to college or retiring. I needed a change and set out on a quest to learn how to manage money effectively. Realizing that my money problems stemmed from myself, I focused on improving my own behavior and gaining confidence in handling money. The Total Money Makeover is 80% behavior and 20% head knowledge, requiring commitment and hard work. Tens of thousands of ordinary people have used the system to get out of debt and build wealth. Living below your means and saving for future goals are crucial components of financial success. The first step in the Total Money Makeover is confronting and controlling your own spending habits. It will take sacrifice, discipline, and commitment, but the payoff of financial freedom is worth it. Quotes

“Winning at money is 80 percent behavior and 20 percent head knowledge. What to do isn’t the problem; doing it is. Most of us know what to do, but we just don’t do it. If I can control the guy in the mirror, I can be skinny and rich.”

“IF YOU WILL LIVE LIKE NO ONE ELSE, LATER YOU CAN LIVE LIKE NO ONE ELSE. This is the motto of your Total Money Makeover. It’s my way of reminding you that if you will make the sacrifices now that most people aren’t willing to make, later on you will be able to live as those folks will never be able to live.”

“We enjoy earning interest now, rather than paying it.”

“Savings without a mission is garbage. Your money needs to work for you, not lie around you.”

Denial I’m Not That Out of Shape (Two Major Obstacles to Your Total Money Makeover) Takeaways

Recognize denial as a major obstacle to financial fitness and facing the reality of your financial situation. Understand that debt consolidation only treats the symptom, not the root cause of financial problems. Identify personal obstacles to achieving financial fitness and take action to overcome them. Break the cycle of living beyond means and start paying yourself first. Don’t wait for a crisis to motivate you to make changes; act now. Be aware of the danger of gradual financial decline and the importance of taking steps to improve your situation. Seek out resources like The Total Money Makeover plan to help guide you towards financial freedom. Quotes

“For your own good, for the good of your family and your future, grow a backbone. When something is wrong, stand up and say it is wrong, and don’t back down.”

“Years ago, in a motivational seminar by the master, Zig Ziglar, I heard a story about how mediocrity will sneak up on you. The story goes that if you drop a frog into boiling water, he will sense the pain and immediately jump out. However, if you put a frog in room-temperature water, he will swim around happily, and as you gradually turn the water up to boiling, the frog will not sense the change. The frog is lured to his death by gradual change. We can lose our health, our fitness, and our wealth gradually, one day at a time. It might be a cliché, but that’s because it is true: The enemy of “the best” is not “the worst.” The enemy of “the best” is “just fine.”

“Change is painful. Few people have the courage to seek out change. Most people won’t change until the pain of where they are exceeds the pain of change.”

“If you keep doing the same things, you will keep getting the same results. You are where you are now financially as a sum total of the decisions you’ve made to this point.”

“Albert Einstein said, “Great spirits have often encountered violent opposition from weak minds.”

Debt Myths: Debt Is (Not) a Tool Takeaways

Debt is not a tool for prosperity but a hindrance to financial peace and wealth accumulation. Credit cards are a dangerous financial tool that can easily lead to debt and financial ruin. Living beyond your means by using debt to purchase items you cannot afford will only result in a life of financial stress and struggle. Consolidating debt into one payment does not solve the underlying problem, which is overspending and living beyond your means. Borrowing against your home to pay off debt is not a wise decision, as it leaves you stuck in the house and with even more debt. The economy would prosper if everyone lived within their means and did not use debt, instead focusing on saving, investing, and giving. Quotes

“It is human nature to want it and want it now; it is also a sign of immaturity. Being willing to delay pleasure for a greater result is a sign of maturity.”

“I have heard it said that if you tell a lie often enough, loudly enough, and long enough, the myth will become accepted as a fact. Repetition, volume, and longevity will twist and turn a myth, or a lie, into a commonly accepted way of doing things. Entire populations have been lulled into the approval of ghastly deeds and even participation in them by gradually moving from the truth to a lie. Throughout history, twisted logic, rationalization, and incremental changes have allowed normally intelligent people to be party to ridiculous things. Propaganda, in particular, has played a big part in allowing these things to happen.”

“Debt is so ingrained into our culture that most Americans cannot even envision a car without a payment, a house without a mortgage, a student without a loan, and credit without a card. We”

“Proverbs 22:7: “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender”

“If you want to be skinny, study skinny people, and if you want to be rich, do what lots of rich people do, not what some mythsayer says to do.”

“If I loan money to a friend or relative, the relationship will be strained or destroyed. The only relationship that would be enhanced is the kind resulting from one party being the master and the other party a servant.”

“We buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like.”

“If you had saved $20 per week for just ten weeks, you could have bought the scratch-and-dent model off the floor at the same Rent-to-Own store for $200! Or you could have bought a used set out of the classifieds or online. It pays to look past the weekend and suffer through going to the Laundromat with your quarters. When you think short term, you always set yourself up for being ripped off by a predatory lender. If the Red-Faced Kid (“I want it, and I want it now!”) rules your life, you will stay broke!”

“we buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have in order to impress people we don’t like.”

“If you keep a $495 car payment throughout your life, which is “normal,” you miss the opportunity to save that money. If you invested $495 per month from age twenty-five to age sixty-five, a normal working lifetime, in the average mutual fund averaging 12 percent (the eighty-year stock market average), you would have $5,881,799.14 at age sixty-five. Hope you like the car!”

“You have to reach the point that what people think is not your primary motivator. Reaching the goal is the motivator.”

“Having seen several hundred lease agreements entered into by people I have counseled, my financial calculator confirms that the average interest rate is 14 percent. Shouldn’t you lease or rent things that go down in value? Not necessarily, and the math doesn’t work on a car, for sure. Follow me through this example: If you rent (lease) a car with a value of $22,000 for three years, and when you turn it in at the end of that three-year lease the car is worth $10,000, someone has to cover the $12,000 loss. You’re not stupid, so you know that General Motors, Ford, or any of the other auto giants aren’t going to put together a plan to lose money. Your fleece/lease payment is designed to cover the loss in value ($12,000 spread over 36 months is equal to $333 per month), plus provide profit (the interest you pay). Where did you get a deal in that? You didn’t! On top of that, there is the charge of 10 to 17 cents per mile for going over the allotted miles and the penalties everyone turning in a lease has experienced for “excessive wear and tear,” which takes into account every little nick, dent, carpet tear, smudge, or smell. You end up writing a large check just to walk away after renting your car. The whole idea of the back-end penalties is twofold: to get you to fleece/lease another one so you can painlessly roll the gotchas into the new lease, and to make sure the car company makes money.”

“We have discussed the new-car purchase in its various forms for the last several pages. No, you can’t afford a new car unless you are a millionaire and can, therefore, afford to lose thousands of dollars, all in the name of the neat new-car smell. A good used car that is less than three years old is as reliable or more reliable than a new car. A new $28,000 car will lose about $17,000 of value in the first four years you own it. That is almost $100 per week in lost value. To understand what I’m talking about, open your window on your way to work once a week and throw out a $100 bill.”

“Debt is not a tool; it is a method to make banks wealthy, not you. The borrower truly is slave to the lender.”

Money Myths: The (Non)Secrets of the Rich Takeaways

Debt Myths: Debt is a necessary evil. Credit cards help you build credit. Debt allows you to live beyond your means. You can’t get out of debt without borrowing more. Declaring bankruptcy is the best solution for overwhelming debt. Truth:

Debt is a financial burden that enslaves you and keeps you from being financially free. Credit cards make it easy to buy things you can’t afford, leading to unnecessary debt. Living beyond your means leads to financial instability and debt. Creating a budget and sticking to it is the best solution for managing debt. Bankruptcy ruins your credit and leaves a lasting financial impact. Money Myths: You need to earn a high income to get out of debt. Living below your means is synonymous with living in poverty. Investing in the stock market is risky and only for the wealthy. Credit cards are necessary for building credit. It’s okay to borrow money from retirement accounts to pay off debt. Truth:

Creating a budget and sticking to it allows you to get out of debt regardless of your income level. Living below your means is the key to financial freedom. Investing in index funds is a low-risk way to build wealth. Building credit with a secured credit card or through other means is possible without relying on credit cards. Borrowing from retirement accounts to pay off debt is a short-term solution with long-term consequences. Quotes

“The lottery is a tax on poor people and on people who can’t do math. Rich people and smart people would be in the line if the lottery were a real wealth-building tool, but the truth is that the lottery is a rip-off instituted by our government. This is not a moral position; it is a mathematical, statistical fact. Studies show that the zip codes that spend four times what anyone else does on lottery tickets are those in lower-income parts of town. The lottery, or gambling of any kind, offers false hope, not a ticket out.”

“A budget is people telling their money where to go instead of wondering where it went.”

“A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children” (Prov. 13:22 NKJV). I”

“You must walk to the beat of a different drummer. The same beat that the wealthy hear. If the beat sounds normal, evacuate the dance floor immediately! The goal is to not be normal, because as my radio listeners know, normal is broke.”

Two More Hurdles: Ignorance and Keeping Up with the Joneses Takeaways

The Total Money Makeover is a process that requires effort and commitment. Denial, Myths, Ignorance, and Approval are common obstacles on the path to financial freedom. Overcoming denial involves acknowledging the reality of your financial situation. Debt myths can be harmful and prevent individuals from taking control of their finances. Ignorance about personal finance can lead to poor financial decisions. Approval from others can influence spending habits and lead to financial instability. The Total Money Makeover involves following a specific plan, including creating a budget, eliminating debt, and saving for emergencies and retirement. It is important to stay committed to the process and avoid falling back into old habits. Climbing the mountain of financial freedom will be challenging, but the rewards are worth it. Seek guidance from trusted resources and experts if needed. Quotes

“Here’s the deal. When you get married, you become a team. The pastor at your wedding wasn’t joking when he said, “And now you are one.” It’s called unity. The old marriage vows say, “Unto thee I pledge all my worldly goods.” In other words, “I’m all in,” so combine the checking accounts. It’s hard to have unity when you separate your bank accounts. When his money is over here, and her money is over there, it’s easy to live in your own little financial world instead of working as a team. When you do your spending together, it’s about “our” money. We have an income and we have expenses and we have goals. So when you’re both in agreement on where the money is going, then you’ve taken a major step to being on the same page in your marriage, and you will create awesome levels of communication. This all boils down to trust. Do you trust your spouse or not? I’ve heard from people who keep separate bank accounts just in case their spouse leaves them. Well, why on earth would you marry someone you can’t trust? And if that’s really the case, then you need marriage counseling, not separate bank accounts! Your spouse isn’t your roommate, and this isn’t a joint business venture. It’s a marriage! You don’t run your household and your life separately. Your job is to love each other well, and that includes having shared financial goals—which is hard to do when you have separate accounts.”

“typical millionaire lives in a middle-class home, drives a two-year-old or older paid-for car, and buys blue jeans at Wal-Mart.”

“We are scaling down” is a painful statement to make to friends or family.”

Save $1,000 Fast: Walk Before You Run Takeaways

The first step in the Total Money Makeover is building an emergency fund of $1,000 or more. Having an emergency fund can help prevent reliance on credit cards for unexpected expenses. Building an emergency fund requires sacrifices and budgeting, but it is worth it for financial peace. The emergency fund should be kept in a liquid form, easily accessible in case of true emergencies. Delayed gratification and trust in God’s provision are essential parts of building an emergency fund. Quotes

“If you’re married, agree on the budget with your spouse. This one sentence requires a stand-alone book to describe how, but the bottom line is this: if you aren’t working together, it is almost impossible to win. Once the budget is agreed on and is in writing, pinky-swear and spit-shake that you will never do anything with money that is not on that paper. The paper is the boss of the money, and you are the boss of what goes on the paper, but you have to stick to the budget, or it’s just an elaborate theory.”

The Debt Snowball: Winning the Battle Against Payments Takeaways

Eliminating debt is crucial for building wealth and securing financial freedom. Create a budget and stick to it, focusing on essential expenses only. Use the Debt Snowball method to pay off debts from smallest to largest, regardless of interest rates. Increase income through side jobs or selling items to accelerate debt repayment. Temporarily halting retirement contributions can help speed up debt repayment but should be reinstated once debt is eliminated. Avoid dipping into the emergency fund for non-emergencies and replenish it as soon as possible. Large debts, such as second mortgages, business loans, and rental property mortgages, are paid off in later steps. With intense focus, sacrifice, and extra effort, most debt can be eliminated within 18-24 months. Quotes

“Many of you reading this are convinced that you could become wealthy if you could get out of debt. The problem now is that you are feeling more and more trapped by the debt. I have great news! I have a foolproof, but very difficult, method for getting out of debt. Most people won’t do it because they are average, but not you. You have already figured out that if you will live like no one else, later you can live like no one else. You are sick and tired of being sick and tired, so you are willing to pay the price for greatness. This is the toughest of all the Baby Steps to your Total Money Makeover. It is so hard, but it is so worth it. This step requires the most effort, the most sacrifice, and is where all your broke friends and relatives will make fun of you (or join you).”

“After you list the debts smallest to largest, pay the minimum payment to stay current on all the debts except the smallest. Every dollar you can find from anywhere in your budget goes toward the smallest debt until it is paid. Once the smallest is paid, the payment from that debt, plus any extra “found” money, is added to the next smallest debt. (Trust me, once you get going, you will find money.) Then, when debt number two is paid off, you take the money that you used to pay on number one and number two and you pay it, plus any found money, on number three. When three is paid, you attack four, and so on. Keep paying minimums on all the debts except the smallest until it is paid. Every time you pay one off, the amount you pay on the next one down increases. All the money from old debts and all the money you can find anywhere goes on the smallest until it is gone. Attack! Every time the Snowball rolls over, it picks up more snow and gets larger, and by the time you get to the bottom, you have an avalanche.”

Finish the Emergency Fund: Kick Murphy Out Takeaways

The emergency fund is a critical component of financial security. Aim to save three to six months’ worth of expenses in an easily accessible account. Use windfalls and bonuses to build up the emergency fund quickly. Do not use the emergency fund for non-emergencies or debts. Once the emergency fund is established, focus on eliminating debt, starting with high-interest debts. The emergency fund provides peace of mind and protects against unexpected expenses. Men and women may have different perspectives on the importance and use of the emergency fund. Quotes

“Being the highly trained investment mogul that I am, I could certainly find places to put that money where it would earn more. Or would it? Remember, personal finance is personal. I have come to realize that Sharon’s peace of mind bought with the oversized emergency fund is a great return on investment. Guys, this can be a wonderful gift to your wife. An Emergency Fund Can”

“The reality is that Murphy doesn’t visit as much, but when he does, we hardly notice his presence. When Sharon and I were broke, our heating-and-air system quit, and the repair cost $580. It was a huge, hairy deal. Recently I had a new $570 water heater installed because the old one started leaking, and I hardly noticed. I wonder if the stress relief that your Total Money Makeover provides will allow you to live longer?”

“There are some Baby Step Three clarifications. Joe asked recently if he should stop his Snowball—Step Two—to get his emergency fund finished. Joe and his wife have twins due in six months. Brad’s plant is closing in four months, and he will lose his job. Mike got a huge severance check of $25,000 last week when his company downsized him. Should these people work on debt or finish the emergency fund? All three should temporarily stop Snowballing and concentrate on the emergency fund because we can see distant storm clouds that are real. Once the storm passes, they can resume the plan as before. Resuming the plan for Joe means that once the babies are born healthy, are home, and everyone is fine, Joe will take the emergency fund back down to $1,000 by using the rest of the savings to pay the Debt Snowball. Resuming for Brad would mean that once he finds his new job, he’ll do the same. Mike should hold his instant emergency fund of $25,000 until he is reemployed. The sooner he can get a job, the more that severance is going to look like a bonus and have a huge impact on the Debt Snowball.”

“Saving for a down payment or cash purchase of a home should occur after becoming debt-free in Step Two and after finishing the emergency fund in Step Three. That makes saving for a down payment Baby Step Three (b). You should save for the home if you have the itch before moving on to the next step. Many people are worried about getting a home, but please let it be a blessing rather than a curse. It will be a curse if you buy something while you are still broke. There are all sorts of folks who are eager to “work with you” so you can make it happen sooner, but the definition of “Creative Financing” is “Too Broke to Buy a House.”

Maximize Retirement Investing: Be Financially Healthy for Life (Maintaining Your Money Muscles) Takeaways

Investing in retirement is an important part of securing your financial future. Start by maximizing your employer’s 401k contributions, then invest in low-cost index funds like VTI, VXW, and VTSA. Use tools like Personal Finance Software (PFS) to monitor your progress. Stay disciplined by following The Total Money Makeover steps. Retiring with dignity is achievable at any age. Quotes

“Here’s a Reader’s Digest version of my approach. I select mutual funds that have had a good track record of winning for more than five years, preferably for more than ten years. I don’t look at their one-year or three-year track records because I think long term. I spread my retirement, investing evenly across four types of funds. Growth and Income funds get 25 percent of my investment. (They are sometimes called Large Cap or Blue Chip funds.) Growth funds get 25 percent of my investment. (They are sometimes called Mid Cap or Equity funds; an S&P Index fund would also qualify.) International funds get 25 percent of my investment. (They are sometimes called Foreign or Overseas funds.) Aggressive Growth funds get the last 25 percent of my investment. (They are sometimes called Small Cap or Emerging Market funds.) For a full discussion of what mutual funds are and why I use this mix, go to daveramsey.com and visit MyTotalMoneyMakeover.com. The invested 15 percent of your income should take advantage of all the matching and tax advantages available to you. Again, our purpose here is not to teach the detailed differences in every retirement plan out there (see my other materials for that), but let me give you some guidelines on where to invest first. Always start where you have a match. When your company will give you free money, take it. If your 401(k) matches the first 3 percent, the 3 percent you put in will be the first 3 percent of your 15 percent invested. If you don’t have a match, or after you have invested through the match, you should next fund Roth IRAs. The Roth IRA will allow you to invest up to $5,000 per year, per person. There are some limitations as to income and situation, but most people can invest in a Roth IRA. The Roth grows tax-FREE. If you invest $3,000 per year from age thirty-five to age sixty-five, and your mutual funds average 12 percent, you will have $873,000 tax-FREE at age sixty-five. You have invested only $90,000 (30 years x 3,000); the rest is growth, and you pay no taxes. The Roth IRA is a very important tool in virtually anyone’s Total Money Makeover. Start with any match you can get, and then fully fund Roth IRAs. Be sure the total you are putting in is 15 percent of your total household gross income. If not, go back to 401(k)s, 403(b)s, 457s, or SEPPs (for the self-employed), and invest enough so that the total invested is 15 percent of your gross annual pay. Example: Household Income $81,000 Husband $45,000 Wife $36,000 Husband’s 401(k) matches first 3%. 3% of 45,000 ($1,350) goes into the 401(k). Two Roth IRAs are next, totaling $10,000. The goal is 15% of 81,000, which is $12,150. You have $11,350 going in. So you bump the husband’s 401(k) to 5%, making the total invested $12,250.”

“The average household income in America is right around $50,000 per year, according to the Census Bureau. Joe and Suzy Average would invest $7,500 (15 percent) per year or $625 per month. If you make $50,000 per year and have no payments except the house mortgage and live on a budget, can you invest $625 per month? Follow me here. If Joe and Suzy invest $625 per month with no match into Roth IRAs from age thirty to age seventy, they will have $7,588,545 tax-FREE! That is almost $8 million. What if I’m half-wrong? What if you end up with only $4 million? What if I’m six times wrong? Sure beats the 97 out of 100 sixty-five-year-olds who can’t write a check for $600! I would submit to you that Joe and Suzy are well below average. Why? In our example they started at the average household income in America, and in forty years of work never got a raise. They saved 15 percent of income and never increased it by one dollar. There is no excuse to retire without financial dignity in the United States today. Most of you will have well over $2 million pass through your hands in your working lifetime, so do something about catching some of that money. Gayle asked me one day if it was too late for her to start saving. Gayle wasn’t twenty-seven like Joe and Suzy. She was fifty-seven years old, but with her attitude you would have thought this lady was 107. Harold Fisher had a much better outlook at age one hundred than Gayle did at age fifty-seven. Life had dealt her some blows and had knocked most of the hope out of her. A Total Money Makeover is not a magic show. You start where you are, and you do the steps. These steps work if you are twenty-seven or fifty-seven, and they don’t change. Gayle might be starting the retirement investing step at sixty that Joe and Suzy start at thirty years old. Gayle was unwise to enter her sixties without an emergency fund and with credit-card debt and a car payment. She, like all of us, couldn’t save when she has debt and no umbrella for when it rains. Would it have been better for Gayle to start when she was twenty-seven or even forty-seven? Obviously. But once she was done with the pity party, she still needed to start with Baby Step One and follow The Total Money Makeover step-by-step to put herself in the best position possible.”

College Funding: Make Sure the Kids Are Fit Too Takeaways

Prioritize saving for college over other debt payments if possible. Consider options such as military service, work-study programs, and high-earning summer jobs to pay for education. Utilize scholarships, grants, and financial aid to reduce or eliminate the need for student loans. Encourage your child to attend an affordable school and live on campus to save money. Save and invest early and consistently to build up funds for college expenses. Avoid taking on unnecessary debt during college years. Be resourceful and creative in finding ways to pay for education without relying on student loans. Quotes

“Only if you mix knowledge with attitude, character, perseverance, vision, diligence, and extreme levels of work will your college degree produce for you.”

“15 percent of success could be attributed to training and education, while 85 percent was attributed to attitude, perseverance, diligence, and vision.”

Pay Off the Home Mortgage: Be Ultrafit Takeaways

Mortgages can be a useful tool for home ownership, but they should be used wisely and with caution. Adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) and balloon mortgages have hidden risks that can lead to financial disaster. Home equity loans (HELs) are often marketed as a solution for emergencies, but they actually create more risk and can lead to foreclosure. Paying cash for a home is possible, even if it requires sacrifices in lifestyle. It takes an average of seven years to pay off a mortgage and reach financial peace, but the rewards are worth it. Quotes

“One thing I am sure of in my Total Money Makeover: I had to quit telling myself that I had innate discipline and fabulous natural self-control. That is a lie. I have to put systems and programs in place that make me do smart things. Saying, “Cross my fingers and hope to die, I promise, promise, promise I will pay extra on my mortgage because I am the one human on the planet who has that kind of discipline,” is kidding yourself. A big part of being strong financially is that you know where you are weak and take action to make sure you don’t fall prey to the weakness. And we ALL are weak. Sick”

“The ARM, Adjustable Rate Mortgage, was invented in the early 1980s. Prior to that, those of us in the real estate business sold fixed-rate 7 or 8 percent mortgages. What happened? I was there in the middle of that disaster of an economy when fixed-rate mortgages went as high as 17 percent and the real estate world froze. Lenders paid out 12 percent on CDs but had money loaned out at 7 percent on hundreds of millions of dollars in mortgages. They were losing money, and lenders don’t like to lose money. So the Adjustable Rate Mortgage was born, in which your interest rate goes up when the prevailing market interest rates go up. The ARM was born to transfer the risk of higher interest rates to you, the consumer. In the last several years, home mortgage rates have been at a thirty-year low. It is not wise to get something that adjusts when you are at the bottom of rates! The mythsayers always seem to want to add risk to your home, the one place you should want to make sure has stability. Balloon mortgages are even worse. Balloons pop, and it is always strange to me that the popping sound is so startling. Why don’t we expect it? It is in the very nature of balloons to pop. Wise financial people always move away from risk, and the balloon mortgage creates risk nightmares.”

“A man with an experience is not at the mercy of a man with an opinion.”

“I tell everyone never to take more than a fifteen-year fixed-rate loan, and never have a payment of over 25 percent of your take-home pay. That is the most you should ever borrow.”

Build Wealth: Arnold Schwarzedollar, Mr. Universe of Money (Baby Step Seven) Takeaways

The Total Money Makeover has three uses for money: FUN, INVESTING, and GIVING. Fun should begin from Baby Step One, but it has to be inexpensive fun in the beginning. Investing begins at Baby Step Four (Invest 15 Percent of Your Income in Retirement). Giving something, even if it is just giving your time by serving soup to the homeless, should start from Baby Step One. Do not neglect any of the three uses of money; doing so will result in missed opportunities and potential regrets. The most mature part of who you are will meet the kid inside as you learn to involve yourself in the last use of money, which is to GIVE it away. Wealthy people are those who have reached the Pinnacle Point, where their money makes more than they do and can comfortably live on their investment income. Giving is the biggest reward of the entire workout and should be a priority for those who have achieved financial security. Giving does not necessarily mean giving large sums of money; it can also mean giving your time, resources, or talents to help others. The most effective givers are those who give freely and without expectation of anything in return. Secret Santa is a great example of the joy and fulfillment that comes from giving generously and anonymously. Doing all three uses of money - FUN, INVESTING, and GIVING - is essential for achieving Total Money Makeover status. Quotes

“At this stage in The Total Money Makeover, you are the Mr. Universe of Money, with serious abs, pecs, and quads. You have all this financial muscle, so now you should do something intentional with it. It is not just to look at. We built this financial superbody for a reason. To have FUN, INVEST, and GIVE.”

“one reason to have a Total Money Makeover is to build wealth that allows you to have fun. So have some fun! Taking your family, even the extended ones, on a seven-day cruise, buying large diamonds, or even buying a new car are things you can afford to do when you have millions of dollars. You can afford to do these things because when you do them, your money position is hardly even affected. If you like travel, travel. If you like clothes, buy some. I am releasing you to have some fun with your money, because money is to be enjoyed. That guilt-free enjoyment is one of the three reasons to have a Total Money Makeover.”

“Someone who never has fun with money misses the point. Someone who never invests money will never have any. Someone who never gives is a monkey with his hand in a bottle.”

Live Like No One Else: False Cents of Security Takeaways

Wealth can become a destructive obsession if not handled properly. Material possessions do not bring true happiness or fulfillment. Being tough on children regarding money management to prevent them from being ruined by inherited wealth. Wealth amplifies one’s character – be generous, kind, or responsible with it. Possessing riches gives the power to decide how they are used. It is a spiritual duty for good people to possess wealth and use it for good purposes. The Total Money Makeover goes beyond just money issues and requires a complete life makeover. Hope: become debt-free, retire with dignity, leave an inheritance, give generously. Quotes

“My kids, you, and I can have good things happen as a result of our Total Money Makeover only if we have the spiritual character to recognize that wealth is not the answer to life’s questions. We further must recognize that while wealth is very fun, it comes with great responsibility. Another paradox is that wealth will make you more of what you are. Let that one soak in for a minute. If you are a jerk and you become wealthy, you will be king of the jerks. If you are generous and you become wealthy, you will be most generous. If you are kind, wealth will allow you to show kindness in immeasurable ways. If you feel guilty, wealth will ensure that you feel guilty for the rest of your life.” Weapons of Mass Instruction by John Taylor Gatto

Troy Shu Troy Shu Updated at: May 29, 2024 Education Social criticism Philosophy Weapons of Mass InstructionWeapons of Mass Instruction Explore the Prussian roots of the American education system and learn about alternative approaches to foster independent thinking. Discover how to take control of your educational path with this insightful book summary.

Summary Quotes 4 Questions 37 Chapter Notes Discussion What are the big ideas? Prussian Roots of American Schooling

The author traces the design of the American educational system back to 19th century Prussia, aimed at creating obedient citizens, not independent thinkers.

Industrial Agenda in Education

Schools are depicted as tools for industrialists and policymakers since the late 19th century to create a compliant workforce, fitting economic needs over educational value.

Extended Childhood as a Control Mechanism

Compulsory schooling is criticized for artificially extending childhood, thereby delaying maturity and independence to create docile consumers.

Open-Source Learning

The book promotes open-source learning, allowing students to choose their educational paths, contrasting with the rigid structure of traditional education.

Decline of Local Education Control

The shift from local, community-based educational governance to centralized control is highlighted as diminishing democratic oversight and increasing bureaucracy.

Alternative Approaches to Education

The author proposes alternative educational methods such as self-directed learning and real-world engagements over conventional classroom-based education.

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From a SwiftRead user: Feels like I just discovered the equivalent of fire but for reading text. WOW, WOW, WOW. A must have for me, forever. Get SwiftRead. It’s free. Prussian Roots of American Schooling The American educational system was deliberately designed to produce obedient citizens, not independent thinkers. The author traces this system’s origins back to 19th century Prussia, where schools were used as a tool to control the population and prevent dissent.

The Prussian model of education emphasized conformity and subordination over critical thinking and creativity. This approach was eagerly adopted in the United States, as influential figures sought to address the “problem” of an overly self-sufficient and inventive common population.

By dividing students, ranking them constantly, and instilling reflexive obedience to authority, the education system aimed to prevent the “ignorant masses” from uniting and challenging the established order. This was a calculated effort to undermine the democratic ideals that threatened the interests of the political and economic elite.

Here are specific examples from the context that support the key insight about the Prussian roots of the American educational system:

The author states that the American educational system is “Prussian in origin” and that this is “cause for concern”, as the Prussian system was “deliberately designed to produce mediocre intellects, to hamstring the inner life, to deny students appreciable leadership skills, and to ensure docile and incomplete citizens”.

The author cites Orestes Brownson, who in the 1840s was “publicly denouncing the Prussianization of American schools”, seeing it as part of a “monumental conspiracy” to “subvert the Constitution”.

Horace Mann’s “Seventh Annual Report” to the Massachusetts Board of Education in 1843 is described as “essentially a paean to the land of Frederick the Great and a call for its schooling to be brought here.”

The author states that compulsory schooling on this continent was intended to be just what it had been for Prussia in the 1820s: a “fifth column into the burgeoning democratic movement” to divide and control the masses.

Alexander Inglis, an influential educator, is quoted as saying the “actual purpose” of modern schooling is to establish “fixed habits of reaction to authority” and “integrate” students into a standardized, obedient citizenry.

The author states that the American educational system was deliberately designed to “reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to put down dissent and originality.”

Industrial Agenda in Education Schools have been deliberately transformed into tools for industrialists and policymakers since the late 19th century. The goal is to create a compliant workforce that fits economic needs, rather than prioritizing educational value.

This agenda emerged as the United States shifted from an entrepreneurial economy to an industrial, mass production economy after the Civil War. Businesses and elites recognized that unfettered education and inventiveness among the general population could disrupt their economic interests. So they set out to reshape schooling to produce passive, specialized workers instead of independent, creative thinkers.

Key tactics included standardizing curricula, emphasizing rote memorization over critical thinking, and aligning education with the needs of industry. Administrators were instructed to act as federal enforcers, ensuring local schools complied with centralized directives. This allowed industrialists and policymakers to exert control over the next generation, molding them into the workforce they desired.

The dark agenda behind modern schooling is to manufacture compliance, not cultivate true learning. By understanding this historical context, we can see how schools have been weaponized to serve the interests of the powerful, rather than empowering students to reach their full potential.

Here are specific examples from the context that support the key insight that schools were used as tools by industrialists and policymakers to create a compliant workforce fitting economic needs over educational value:

In 1909, Woodrow Wilson stated to a group of businessmen: “We want one class to have a liberal education. We want another class, a very much larger class of necessity, to forgo the privilege of a liberal education and fit themselves to perform specific difficult manual tasks.” This shows the explicit goal of using education to create a divided class system to serve industrial needs.

By 1917, “all major school administrative jobs nationwide were under control of a group referred to in the press of the day as ‘the education trust’.” This trust included representatives from Rockefeller, Carnegie, Harvard, Stanford, and the National Education Association, demonstrating the coordination between industry, academia, and policymakers to shape education.

The concept of “overproduction” was widely discussed from 1880-1930 among “boardrooms, elite universities, gentlemen’s clubs, and highbrow magazines.” This fear of the “creative destruction” caused by an “independent, resourceful, too well-educated common population” led to using education to “implant habits and attitudes” to prevent overproduction and protect corporate interests.

The context states that the classroom was “never to be used to produce knowledge, but only to consume it” and that the “ultimate goal implanted in student minds” was “getting a good job” rather than independent livelihoods. This shows how education was reoriented away from fostering critical thinking and towards training a compliant workforce.

Extended Childhood as a Control Mechanism Compulsory schooling extends childhood by delaying the transition to adulthood and independence. This serves as a control mechanism to create a population of docile consumers.

The education system intentionally keeps young people in a state of extended childhood, rather than fostering maturity and self-reliance. By prolonging the period of dependency and obedience, schools can mold individuals to conform to the needs of the corporate economy.

This strategy undermines the natural development of critical thinking and self-direction. Instead, the system rewards passive compliance and trains students to be obedient workers rather than independent thinkers. The goal is to produce a populace that is easily managed and manipulated, rather than empowered to chart their own course.

Extending childhood through compulsory schooling is a calculated tactic to maintain social control and ensure a steady supply of compliant labor for businesses and the political establishment. It sacrifices the holistic development of the individual in favor of manufacturing a docile, predictable workforce.

Here are examples from the context that support the key insight about extended childhood as a control mechanism:

The Roman pedagogue was a slave assigned to drive home a curriculum created by the Master who owned him, making sure the pupil got to school on time. This shows how schooling was used to control and manage children from a young age.

Woodrow Wilson stated in 1909 that the goal was to have “one class of persons to have a liberal education, and we want another class of persons, a very much larger class, of necessity, in every society, to forgo the privileges of a liberal education and fit themselves to perform specific difficult manual tasks.” This demonstrates how schooling was designed to divide children into different classes and restrict the education of the lower classes.

The six basic functions of modern schooling, as outlined by Inglis, include “the adjustive or adaptive function” to establish “fixed habits of reaction to authority” and “the integrating function” to make children “as alike as possible” - both of which serve to create a docile, conformist population.

The context describes how testing and tracking in schools is used to “mis-identify winners and losers” and “target problems for attention which aren’t problems at all”, in order to “rank children by abstract measures” and sort them into their proper social roles, rather than develop their mental powers.

The “talking choo-choo” metaphor is used to criticize how curriculum design and teaching methods artificially “extend childhood and childishness”, creating “a perverse hunger which defies eradication” and making it difficult for victims to “grow up” and develop self-discipline and competence.

Open-Source Learning Open-source learning empowers students to design their own educational journeys. Rather than following a prescribed curriculum, open-source learners can explore diverse interests and learn from a wide range of sources - from garage mechanics to professional poker players. This approach rejects the rigid structure of traditional schooling, which often disconnects students from their natural curiosity and passion.

In open-source learning, teaching is a function, not a profession. Anyone with valuable knowledge or skills can share them, and students decide for themselves who is a worthy teacher. This contrasts with the top-down, expert-driven model of conventional education, where the government and educational institutions dictate what and how students should learn.

Open-source learning embraces the unpredictable, experimental nature of true education. It recognizes that the most meaningful learning often arises from unexpected connections and personal feedback loops, not from simply memorizing facts. By allowing students to chart their own course, open-source learning fosters the development of self-reliance, resourcefulness, and the ability to think independently - qualities that are essential for success in life beyond the classroom.

Here are examples from the context that support the key insight about open-source learning:

Nick planned to enroll in college to study philosophy, even though he had just won $2 million on the World Poker Tour, showing he was pursuing his own educational path outside the traditional system.

Diablo Cody took an unconventional path, working as a stripper and blogger before becoming an acclaimed screenwriter, demonstrating how open-source learning allows people to find success through diverse experiences.

The context describes Shen Wenrong, a Chinese peasant who led a crew of 1,000 peasants to dismantle and relocate a German steel plant in just 1 year, breaking numerous rules in the process. This shows how open-source learning allows people to creatively solve problems without being constrained by official procedures.

The passage contrasts schooling, which is “organized by command and control from without”, with education, which is “self-organized from within.” This highlights how open-source learning empowers students to direct their own educational journeys.

The context states that in open-source learning, “the student determines who is or is not a teacher, not the government” and “you don’t need a license to teach.” This illustrates the flexibility and lack of formal structure in open-source approaches.

Decline of Local Education Control The centralization of education control is a concerning trend. Local communities used to have significant say over their schools. But now, education policy is increasingly dictated by distant bureaucrats and special interests. This shift erodes democratic oversight and increases bureaucracy.

When education is controlled centrally, rather than locally, communities lose the ability to shape their schools according to their unique needs and values. Distant decision-makers often impose one-size-fits-all policies that fail to account for local contexts. This undermines the responsiveness and relevance of education.

Moreover, centralized control opens the door for special interests to wield outsized influence over education. Powerful organizations and individuals can lobby policymakers to enact changes that benefit their agendas, rather than the best interests of students and communities. This threatens the integrity and independence of the education system.

The decline of local education governance is a troubling development. It diminishes the public’s voice in shaping the schools that serve their children. Restoring meaningful local control is crucial for ensuring education remains accountable, adaptive, and aligned with community values.

Here are examples from the context that support the key insight about the decline of local education control:

The context states that following WWII, “school became an open battleground between old-fashioned, modest, reading, writing and arithmetic ambitions of historic schooling, and proponents of advanced academic thinking, located mainly in project offices of great corporate non-profit foundations like Carnegie and Rockefeller — men who worked diligently to lead institutional schooling toward a scientific rationalization of all social affairs.” This shows how education policy was being shaped by private foundations, rather than local communities.

The context describes how the US Office of Education “redefined ‘education’ after the Prussian fashion as ‘a means to achieve important economic and social goals of a national character.’” This centralized the purpose of education away from local needs.

The context explains how state education agencies were henceforth ordered to act as on-site federal enforcers, ensuring compliance of local schools to central directives. State agencies were told to “give up ‘independent identity as well as authority,’ accepting a junior partnership with the federal government. Or suffer financial penalties for disobedience.” This shows the erosion of local control in favor of federal oversight.

The Behavioral Science Teacher Education Project (BSTEP) is described as outlining reforms that would “force” on the US after 1967, including “each individual will receive at birth a multi-purpose identification number” to enable “employers ‘and other controllers’ to keep track of the common mass.” This centralized control over individuals through the education system.

In summary, the context highlights how education policy and governance shifted away from local, community-based control towards centralized control by federal agencies, private foundations, and social engineering projects. This diminished democratic oversight and increased bureaucratic management of education.

Alternative Approaches to Education The author advocates for self-directed learning and real-world engagements as alternatives to the rigid, ineffective model of conventional schooling. Rather than passively absorbing information in a classroom, the author suggests that true education comes from actively exploring one’s interests, building practical skills, and making meaningful connections to the world outside school walls.

The author contrasts “schooling” - which is organized through top-down control and disconnected from primary sources of learning - with “education”, which is self-directed and promotes diverse, unstructured connections. Schooling emphasizes rote memorization and conformity, while education fosters critical thinking, creativity, and independence.

The author argues that the current education system is designed more to maintain its own bureaucratic interests than to truly educate students. By enumerating the many “don’ts” imposed on students, the author demonstrates how schooling actively discourages the very qualities - initiative, curiosity, responsibility - that are essential for thriving in the real world. In contrast, the author proposes educational approaches that empower students to direct their own learning and engage directly with their communities.

Overall, the author advocates for a radical shift away from the constraints of conventional schooling towards more personalized, experiential models of education that cultivate self-reliance, adaptability, and a love of learning.

Here are some examples from the context that support the key insight about alternative approaches to education:

The author contrasts schooling - which is “organized by command and control from without” - with education, which is “self-organized from within” and provides “a set of bountiful connections which are random, willful, promiscuous, even disharmonious with one another.”

The author states that in education, “the student is awakened to the critical role natural feedback loops play in becoming independent” and develops “customized circuits of self-correction rather than a slavish need to follow the generalized direction of others.” This is in contrast to schooling which “must emphasize rules made by others.”

The author gives the example of John Kanzius, who was able to invent a new tool against cancer “precisely because he wasn’t a specialist in cancer research, or even a college graduate.” This illustrates how cross-disciplinary, real-world engagement can lead to innovation, in contrast to the specialized, siloed approach of traditional schooling.

The author criticizes how schools “disconnect its clientele from other primary sources of learning” in order to achieve “administrative efficiency”, whereas education “sets out to provide a set of bountiful connections” that enable learning.

The author suggests that students who “bring anthropological tools to elementary school” can “harvest rich understandings of their fellow citizens in embryo, and of the adults hired to hold them captive” - an approach that engages students as active observers and analysts rather than passive recipients.

Quotes Let’s take a look at some key quotes from “Weapons of Mass Instruction” that resonated with readers.

I’ve concluded that genius is as common as dirt. We suppress genius because we haven’t yet figured out how to manage a population of educated men and women. The solution, I think, is simple and glorious. Let them manage themselves.

The idea is that exceptional abilities are abundant, but they are often stifled because society has not learned to handle a population of highly educated individuals. The solution lies in giving people the autonomy to take charge of their own lives, allowing them to flourish and reach their full potential. By doing so, individuals can self-direct and make meaningful contributions, rather than being controlled and managed by others. This approach can lead to a more empowered and enlightened society.

We don’t need state-certified teachers to make education happen — certification probably guarantees it won’t.

Traditional teaching credentials may not be essential for effective learning. In fact, the emphasis on certification might hinder the natural process of education. What’s more important is the ability to share valuable knowledge and skills, which can come from anyone with experience and passion. This approach to learning is more about facilitating discovery than following a rigid, formal structure.

How many schoolteachers were aware of what they actually were a part of? Surely a number close to zero. In schoolteaching, as in hamburger-flipping, the paycheck is the decisive ingredient. No insult is meant, at bottom this is what realpolitik means. We all have to eat.

Most people in a profession, including teachers, are often unaware of the larger system they are a part of. They focus on their daily tasks and earning a living, rather than questioning the underlying purpose or impact of their work. This is a pragmatic reality, where financial necessity takes priority over idealism or critical thinking. As a result, individuals may unknowingly contribute to a system that has consequences beyond their immediate awareness.

Comprehension Questions 0 / 28 How well do you understand the key insights in “Weapons of Mass Instruction”? Find out by answering the questions below. Try to answer the question yourself before revealing the answer! Mark the questions as done once you’ve answered them.

1. What was one of the primary goals of the educational system design that favored obedience over independent thinking?

2. How did the adoption of the Prussian educational model affect creativity and critical thinking in students?

3. Why did certain figures advocate for the adoption of a Prussian-like educational system in America during the 19th century?

4. What is the purpose of continuously ranking and dividing students in the educational system?

5. How does the design of the educational system aim to influence the political power of the masses?

6. Why were schools transformed into tools for creating a compliant workforce in the late 19th century?

7. What changes were made to the educational system to serve the needs of industrialists and policymakers?

8. What was the underlying agenda of reshaping the educational system in this context?

9. How did the restructured educational system affect the nature of knowledge in schools?

10. What ultimate goal was implanted in students through the modified educational approach?

11. How does compulsory schooling influence the dependency and maturity of young people?

12. What role does passive compliance play in the education system?

13. How does the extension of childhood through schooling affect the individual’s ability to function independently?

14. In what ways are schools used as a tool for social control?

15. Describe how schooling could hinder the development of self-discipline and competence.

16. What is the fundamental concept behind allowing students to design their own educational journeys in contrast to traditional schooling?

17. How does the role of a teacher differ in the open-source learning model compared to conventional education systems?

18. Why is the nature of open-source learning described as unpredictable and experimental?

19. What are some of the qualities that open-source learning aims to develop in students, and why are they important?

20. What are the consequences of centralization in education control on local communities?

21. How does centralized education control increase bureaucracy?

22. What impact do special interests have on centralized education systems?

23. Why is it important to restore local control over education?

24. What does the author suggest is a fundamental difference between education and schooling?

25. How does the author believe real-world engagements contribute to learning compared to traditional classroom settings?

26. What are the drawbacks of the current education system, according to the author?

27. How does the author propose to empower students in their learning process?

28. What qualities does the author argue should be cultivated through alternative educational approaches? Action Questions 0 / 9 “Knowledge without application is useless,” Bruce Lee said. Answer the questions below to practice applying the key insights from “Weapons of Mass Instruction”. Mark the questions as done once you’ve answered them.

29. How can you promote critical thinking and creativity within your local educational system?

30. What steps can you take to challenge and reform the aspects of the educational system that promote conformity and subordination?

31. How can you contribute to reforming the educational system to encourage more creative and critical thinking?

32. What steps can you take to ensure the education you or your children receive promotes independent thinking rather than compliance?

33. How can you foster critical thinking and self-reliance in your community’s educational model to counter the effects of prolonged dependency?

34. What steps can you take to evaluate and potentially challenge the existing curriculum and teaching methods in your local schools?

35. How can you start implementing open-source learning principles in your current educational or training environments to enhance creativity and independence?

36. How can you actively support local initiatives that promote community-based control of education?

37. How can you restructure your current learning environment to incorporate more self-directed and experiential learning practices? Chapter Notes PROLOGUE: AGAINST SCHOOL Here are the key takeaways from the chapter:

Boredom is Pervasive in Schools: The author became an “expert in boredom” after teaching for 30 years in both the best and worst schools in Manhattan. Students and teachers alike expressed feeling bored, with students saying the work was meaningless and teachers blaming the students.

Schools are Designed to Produce Conformity, Not Individuality: The author argues that the true purpose of compulsory schooling is to create a “standardized citizenry” that is docile, obedient, and easy to manage, rather than to foster curiosity, critical thinking, and personal growth.

Schooling has Prussian Origins: The author traces the origins of the American education system to 19th century Prussia, where schools were deliberately designed to suppress dissent and originality in the population.

Schools Serve the Interests of Industrialists and the Elite: Prominent figures like James Bryant Conant and Ellwood P. Cubberley saw schools as a way to sort students into social roles, create a docile labor force, and produce an educated elite to manage the system.

Schooling Extends Childhood and Prevents Maturity: The author argues that schools are designed to keep children in a state of perpetual immaturity, unable to think critically or be independent, in order to turn them into obedient consumers.

Alternative Approaches are Possible: The author suggests that parents can counter the effects of schooling by encouraging their children to pursue serious intellectual interests, develop inner lives, and learn to be self-directed leaders and adventurers.

1 EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT SCHOOLS IS WRONG Here are the key takeaways from the chapter:

Forced schooling aims to create obedient, docile citizens rather than independent thinkers: The chapter argues that the purpose of forced schooling is to “alienate children from themselves” and “from families, traditions, religions, cultures” in order to make them more obedient to the state. The goal is to create “automata” who will “carefully walk in prescribed paths” rather than develop their own critical thinking abilities.

Schooling has been deliberately designed by industrialists and policymakers to serve economic interests, not student learning: The chapter claims that starting in the late 19th century, a group of industrialists, financiers, and policymakers deliberately reshaped the education system to produce a compliant workforce rather than cultivate independent, creative minds. This was driven by a fear of “overproduction” and a desire to control the population.

Literacy and academic performance have declined despite increased schooling and funding: The chapter presents data showing that literacy and academic performance among draftees declined sharply from World War II to the Vietnam War era, even as time spent in school and education funding increased. This is attributed to a shift away from effective, phonics-based reading instruction.

Local control of schools has been systematically eliminated in favor of centralized, top-down management: The chapter argues that the number of locally-elected school boards has been drastically reduced over time, undermining democratic oversight of schools. This has allowed special interests to exert more influence over the education system.

Prominent education reformers like William Torrey Harris explicitly aimed to create a compliant, alienated populace: The chapter highlights quotes from influential education commissioner William Torrey Harris advocating the use of schooling to “subsume the individual” and “transcend the beauty of nature” in students, in service of a vision of social control.

Schooling has been transformed from a system focused on basic skills to one aimed at psychological manipulation and social engineering: The chapter contends that schooling has shifted from modest goals around reading, writing, and arithmetic to an agenda of “behavioral training” and “psychological manipulation” of students, driven by the interests of industry and the state.

2 WALKABOUT: LONDON Open-Source Learning: Open-source learning is a form of education that accepts any experience or interaction as a potential starting point for self-mastery and a good life. It is personalized, with the student determining who is a teacher, not the government. Open-source learning contrasts with the rigid, one-size-fits-all approach of traditional schooling.

Successful Dropouts: The chapter provides numerous examples of highly successful individuals who dropped out of school, including Nick Schulman, Jonathan Goodwin, Danica Patrick, Diablo Cody, and others. These individuals found success by pursuing their passions and interests outside the confines of the traditional education system.

Decline of Invention and Innovation: The author argues that the rise of compulsory, institutionalized schooling has led to a decline in invention and innovation in the United States. He cites a decrease in patent applications by Americans as evidence of this trend.

Adolescence as a Construct: The author argues that the concept of “adolescence” was invented by psychologist G. Stanley Hall as a way to justify the extension of state control over the education of teenagers, who had previously been active participants in building the nation.

The Artificial Extension of Childhood: The author contends that modern schooling artificially extends childhood, preventing young people from taking on adult responsibilities and contributing to society. He argues that in earlier eras, young people were expected to add value to their communities at a much younger age.

The Walkabout Experience: The author reflects on his own childhood experiences of “walkabouts” through his hometown of Monongahela, Pennsylvania, which he considers his most valuable educational experience, far surpassing his time at Ivy League universities.

The Failure of Compulsory Schooling: The author argues that compulsory, one-size-fits-all schooling has been a failure, damaging the promise of America and leading to a bleak future. He calls for the reversal of the “schooling bubble” and a return to open-source, self-directed learning.

3 FAT STANLEY AND THE LANCASTER AMISH Here are the key takeaways from the chapter:

Schooling vs. Education: Schooling is about habit and attitude training, while education is about self-mastery, self-enlargement, and self-transcendence. Schooling is often driven by someone else’s agenda, while education is self-initiated.

Successful Individuals and Schooling: Many successful individuals, such as Mary Shelley and William Shakespeare, had little formal schooling but were highly educated through their own initiative and experiences.

Stanley’s Approach: Stanley, a 13-year-old boy, chose to skip school to work for his relatives and learn their businesses, which he saw as a better educational opportunity than what he would have received in school.

Amish Education: The Amish have a different approach to education, focusing on practical skills, self-reliance, and community values rather than the standardized curriculum and competition of mainstream schooling.

Criticism and Growth: The ability to accept and learn from criticism is essential for personal growth, as exemplified by the author’s observation of someone in their family who claimed they “don’t take criticism well.”

Schooling as Conditioning: Mainstream schooling is designed to condition students to be passive, anxious, and conformist, rather than to encourage self-direction and unique individual development.

Amish Entrepreneurship: The Amish demonstrate that entrepreneurship and business success are possible without formal schooling, relying instead on practical skills, a strong work ethic, and a commitment to their community.

Individualism vs. Mass Man: The chapter argues against the concept of “mass man” and the idea that ordinary people are too “stupid, irresponsible, and childish” to make their own decisions, as exemplified by the Amish and individuals like Stanley.

4 DAVID SARNOFF’S CLASSROOM Here are the key takeaways from the chapter:

David Sarnoff’s Unconventional Education: David Sarnoff, the founder of RCA, dropped out of elementary school and instead learned valuable skills by selling newspapers on the street. He was able to teach himself English, telegraphy, and other important skills without formal schooling, and went on to become the president of RCA at a young age.

Limitations of Formal Schooling: The author argues that the formal education system, including the “famous” alternative school he visited, fails to teach the critical thinking, problem-solving, and other essential skills that are valuable in the modern economy. The system is constrained by bureaucratic policies, mistrust of children and teachers, and a focus on test scores and standardized curricula over developing competencies.

The “Shadow Economy” of Schools: The author describes a “shadow economy” within schools, where administrators create a caste system by rewarding compliant teachers with better resources and classes, while exploiting and driving out newer, less cooperative teachers. This system of favoritism and lack of accountability contributes to the poor performance of the school district.

Destructive Policy Decisions: The author cites two specific policy decisions that have been detrimental to the school district: 1) the decision to not control disruptive classroom behavior in order to avoid hurting students’ self-esteem, and 2) the decision to recruit disruptive students from other districts to conceal declining enrollment, which further exacerbated discipline issues.

Lack of Meaningful Reform: The author argues that attempts at school reform are often superficial, as the “invisible stakeholders” with vested interests in the status quo prevent any meaningful changes that would actually improve the quality of education. Even a superintendent who tried to assert independence and improve the district was quickly fired.

Schools as Institutions of Addiction and Passivity: The author contends that the school system has created “nightmare children” who are addicted to passivity, fantasy, and disconnected information, rather than developing their capacity for critical thinking, problem-solving, and engagement with reality. Good teachers, he argues, are “more dangerous than bad ones” because they perpetuate this system.

5 HECTOR ISN’T THE PROBLEM Here are the key takeaways from the chapter:

The Author Quit Teaching Due to Frustration and Disgust: The author, who was the New York State Teacher of the Year, quit teaching after 30 years due to an accumulation of frustration and disgust with the education system. He could no longer bear to “hurt children” by being part of the system.

School is a “Religion” that Indoctrinates and Sorts Students: The author views the education system as a “religion” that indoctrinates students and sorts them into categories like “gifted and talented,” “mainstream,” and “special ed” based on questionable metrics, rather than helping them learn.

Modern Schooling Teaches “Dumbness”: The author argues that modern schooling does not actually make students smarter, but rather transforms “simple ignorance” into “permanent mathematical categories of relative stupidity” that condition students to be dependent on the system.

Hector is Not the Problem, the System is: The author uses the example of a student named Hector, who is labeled as a problematic student, to illustrate that the real issue is not with individual students like Hector, but with the flawed education system that is designed to control and categorize students rather than help them learn.

The Alternative to the Flawed System is Not Chaos: The author rejects the notion that the only alternative to the current education system is “chaos,” arguing that there are better ways to educate students that do not involve the “stifling system” of forced schooling.

6 THE CAMINO DE SANTIAGO Here are the key takeaways from the chapter:

Suppression of natural feedback circuits: The author believes that TV, computers, and other media have suppressed the natural feedback circuits that allow people, especially children, to learn from their mistakes and grow. This leads to a lack of self-mastery and competence.

Restoring physical activity and real-world engagement: The author’s “Guerrilla Curriculum” aimed to restore children’s natural proclivity for physical activity and engagement with the real world, rather than passive consumption of media. This was done through expeditions, field studies, and other hands-on projects.

The Camino de Santiago as inspiration: The author was inspired by the Camino de Santiago, a medieval pilgrimage route across Spain, as a model for helping children find a new relationship with themselves, nature, and their communities.

Visitor’s Key to Iceland as a model: The author was also inspired by the book “A Visitor’s Key to Iceland,” which brought the land and its history to life in vivid detail. This served as a model for the field guides and research projects the author’s students undertook.

Overcoming the “dead hand” of school administration: The author acknowledges that implementing this curriculum was challenging due to the rigid rules and bureaucracy of the school system, but found ways to circumvent these obstacles.

Restoring the “urgent need to be out and about”: The author believes that modern society, with its emphasis on screens and passive consumption, has weaned children away from their innate need for physical activity, real-world engagement, and the development of purpose and responsibility.

The importance of personal “Caminos”: The author suggests that every child should have the opportunity to undertake a significant personal journey or expedition, similar to the Camino de Santiago, as part of their education, to help them develop self-reliance, connection to nature, and a sense of purpose.

7 WEAPONS OF MASS INSTRUCTION Weapons of Mass Instruction: The chapter discusses various “Weapons of Mass Instruction” that are used by the education system to control and manipulate students, including the “trapped flea strategy”, “ugliness”, “the horse-in-box effect”, “the artificial extension of childhood”, “misdirection”, and “the cauldron of broken time”.

Declining Literacy Rates: The chapter cites statistics showing that only 31% of college-educated Americans can fully comprehend a newspaper story, down from 40% a decade ago, and that 35% of young people regret their university experience and don’t consider it worth the time and money invested.

Moral Odor of Schooling: The chapter discusses the perspective of Jacques Lusseyran, a blind French teenager who became head of an underground resistance group during WWII, who described the “moral odor” of the school environment, where “suppressed anger, humiliated independence, frustrated vagrancy and impotent curiosity” accumulate.

School as a Weapon: The chapter argues that school is not a good place for children, as it weakens family and other relationships, and that the poor results of schooling are not inevitable, but the result of deliberate procedures enshrined in regulation and law.

Personalized Curriculum: The author describes a personalized curriculum he developed as a teacher, which involved creating a detailed biography of each student, identifying their wishes and weaknesses, and tailoring a curriculum to their individual needs, rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach.

Deliberate Deprivation: The chapter discusses Adam Smith’s view that the role of education is to compensate for the psychological damage caused by the processes of free trade and constant competition, which make workers “cowardly, stupid, sluggish, and indifferent to everything but animal needs”.

The Lincoln Elective Program: The chapter provides a detailed example of the “Lincoln Elective Program” in a New York City public junior high school, where students were forced to take electives they did not want, demonstrating the lack of student agency and the imposition of the school’s agenda.

Contempt for School-Based Programs: The chapter cites a study that found that any program conducted in schools induces “contempt” in students, suggesting that the school environment itself undermines the effectiveness of any initiatives or programs.

Irrelevance of Curriculum: The chapter argues that much of the curriculum taught in schools is irrelevant to students’ lives and interests, and that schools are designed to limit free thought and speech in order to maintain the privileges and beliefs of those in power.

Social Engineering: The chapter discusses how the education system is used as a tool for social engineering, disconnecting students from their families, traditions, communities, and the broader intellectual tradition, in order to create a population of passive, obedient consumers.

The Trapped Flea Strategy: The chapter explains the “trapped flea strategy”, where students are gradually conditioned to accept the limitations and constraints of the school environment, just as fleas can be trained to remain in a container after the lid is removed.

The Horse-in-Box Effect: The chapter draws a parallel between the conditions that cause horses to become “slightly crazy” when kept idle and apart from other horses, and the conditions created by the education system, which can drive students into retreating into their inner lives and becoming “consumers rather than contributors”.

The Cauldron of Broken Time: The chapter discusses how the constant interruptions and fragmentation of time in the school environment can prevent students from engaging in the deep, uninterrupted thought necessary for true learning and the development of their own ideas and theories.

8 WHAT IS EDUCATION? Here are the key takeaways from the chapter:

Kant’s Four Questions: Immanuel Kant posed four fundamental questions at the heart of any educational quest: What can I know? What may I hope? What ought I to do? What is Man?

Irony of German Education: Germany, which revered Kant, created a form of youth training that extinguished philosophical curiosity and aggressively exported this system worldwide in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Defining Education: The author offers three “probes” into the mystery of education, including perspectives from a travel writer, the author’s own Senate testimony, and a free verse poem.

Salter’s Perspective: The travel writer James Salter contrasts the “lessons of school” with a more elevated, European view of education that helps one endure, love, and see the world in a different way.

Senate Testimony: In 1991 testimony to the U.S. Senate, the author argued that school in 2000 would likely look much like school in 1890, with failure built into the political system due to the financial interests that profit from the status quo.

Defining an Educated Person: The author proposes a list of valuable human competencies that schools should guarantee to enhance, including being able to use time well, form healthy relationships, understand mortality, think critically, create new ideas, and balance material and non-material sources of happiness.

Surrendering the “Cathedral”: The author envisions a new school that would eliminate the walled compound, centralized testing, and other features of the current system, in favor of flexible, community-based learning opportunities.

Sabotaging the System: The author encourages “noble termite” behavior, where teachers and others subtly undermine the current system from within, while pretending to comply, in order to bring about positive change.

Kristina’s Education: The author’s free verse poem expresses the hope that his granddaughter’s education will make her unique, not a servant, and help her discover how to live and die.

9 A LETTER TO MY GRANDDAUGHTER ABOUT DARTMOUTH Here are the key takeaways from the chapter:

Ancestral Roots: The author’s family has a long history of being “boat-rockers” and contrarians, with ancestors who were outlawed by the British crown, wore top hats, and were associated with the outlaw Rob Roy. This rebellious spirit seems to have been passed down to the author’s granddaughter, Kristina.

Caution Against Attending Elite Colleges: The author strongly advises his granddaughter against attending an elite college like Dartmouth, arguing that such institutions are more focused on indoctrinating students to conform to the system rather than fostering true education and independent thinking.

Critique of the College Admissions Obsession: The author criticizes the widespread belief that attending a prestigious college is essential for success, calling it an “illusion” and a “moral cancer” that is destroying the egalitarian spirit of America.

Importance of Self-Knowledge and Critical Thinking: The author outlines 8 key elements of “real learning” that he believes are more important than academic credentials, including self-knowledge, observation, feedback, analysis, mirroring, expression, judgment, and adding value to others.

Connection Between Schooling and Social Control: The author argues that the modern education system, including both K-12 and higher education, was designed as a tool for social control and to maintain the power of the elite, rather than to truly educate the masses.

Examples of Successful Imposters: The author cites examples of people who were able to successfully impersonate professionals like surgeons and financial traders without formal training, suggesting that true competence is often more about skills and character than credentials.

Importance of Early Maturity and Independence: The author admires examples of young people like Kara Walker and her daughter Octavia who demonstrated remarkable talent and ambition at a young age, arguing that schools exist to delay the “ordinary” from taking their turn in life.

Rejection of Pragmatist Educational Philosophy: The author strongly condemns the pragmatist educational philosophy championed by thinkers like Charles Pierce and William James, which he sees as a tool for indoctrination and social control rather than true education.

10 INCIDENT AT HIGHLAND HIGH Here are the key takeaways from the chapter:

Schooling vs. Education: The chapter distinguishes between schooling, which is organized and imposed from the outside, and education, which is self-organized and promotes diverse, interconnected learning. Schooling emphasizes rules, memory, and specialization, while education fosters critical thinking, synthesis, and cross-disciplinary connections.

Homeschooling Incident in Nuremberg, Germany: In 2008, a 16-year-old German girl named Melissa Busekros was forcibly removed from her home by 15 police officers for the “crime” of homeschooling. The author argues that this incident reflects a “dark force” within the German education system that suppresses individual liberty and freedom of choice in education.

Incident at Highland High School, New York: In 2004, the author was invited to speak at Highland High School in New York, where he planned to discuss the realities of college admissions and the success of many prominent dropouts and non-traditional students. However, the superintendent of the school district halted the lecture and called the police to remove the author, despite the calm and factual nature of the presentation. The author argues that this incident reflects a broader unwillingness within the education system to allow information that challenges the dominant narrative about the importance of traditional schooling.

Incident in Walden, Vermont: In 1991, the author was asked to defend the one-room schoolhouses in Walden, Vermont, which were threatened with closure by the state government. Despite evidence that the cost estimates for renovating the schools were inflated, the state used its power to force the town to build a larger, more expensive regional school, disregarding the community’s wishes. The author sees this as another example of a “dark force” within the education system that prioritizes centralized control over local autonomy and community-based education.

Allegation of a “Dark Force” in Schooling: The author argues that there is a deliberate, hidden agenda behind the development and perpetuation of the modern education system, which seeks to undermine individual liberty, free will, and the ability to think critically. He challenges the reader to investigate this “dark force” through historical, sociological, and philosophical research, rather than accepting the dominant narratives about the necessity and benevolence of the education system.

Discussion