First published 2013
Amanda Ripley investigates global education by following three American teenagers who spend a year studying in Finland, South Korea, and Poland. These countries consistently produce the highest-performing students on international tests. Ripley examines how these education systems work through the experiences of her young subjects living abroad. She discovers that these nations achieved their success recently, not through centuries of tradition. Students in these countries learn through failure and develop independent thinking skills. The author reveals that persistence and hard work drive academic achievement more than self-esteem or athletic programs. Ripley combines investigative reporting with personal stories to show how attitudes toward learning, parenting approaches, and demanding instruction transformed these countries. Her research challenges American assumptions about what creates successful students and offers insights into educational practices that actually work.
Genres: social-science, education, non-fiction, academic
Vibes: informative, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, personal-stories
Setting: Finland, Poland, South Korea, United States
Period: 21st-century
306 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster