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The Best of the Best: Becoming Elite at an American Boarding School

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While a graduate student at the Harvard School of Education, Gaztambide-Fernandez was given research access to an elite, New England boarding school. For two years, he conducted ethnographic field reserach. He wanted to learn how over the course of four years, students began to see themselves as an "elite" group. It is this focus on the creation of elites that makes this ethnography so very interesting.

Boarding schools have been the object of popular fascination for a number of years. For the casual voyeur, it is best to remember "The Best of the Best" is a scholarly work not intended for mass consumption. But for those willing to deal with theory and academic writing, "Best of the Best" is a worthwhile read. However, if you are looking for something a little more accessable, I would recommend Sarah Chase's "Perfectly Prep."

DOn't let the iconic tie and jacket on the cover fool you. This book is not just about boys being groomed for elite lives filled with entitlement and success, but about girls as well. THe author is a bold and insightful writer and the book is an absolute must read for social scientists and students interested in the cultivation and continuance of class. Well researched, well written, highly recommended.