Preparing For Power: America's Elite Boarding Schools [Paperback]

Peter W. Cookson Jr (Author), Caroline Hodges Persell (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0465062695 | ISBN-13: 978-0465062690 | Publication Date: September 30, 1987

Why do private boarding schools produce such a disproportionate number of leaders in business, government, and the arts? In the most comprehensive study of its kind to date, two sociologists describe the complex ways in which elite schools prepare students for success and power, and they also provide a lively behind-the-scenes look at prep–school life and underlife.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Visits to 57 American boarding schools, attended by fewer than one percent of the nation's high school students, supplied the groundwork for this comprehensive, indepth examination of so-called elitist education. Since these institutions provide a disproportionate number of our leaders in the professions, business and government, such an examination is important. The prep school ambience as a rite of passage that enables participants to share a collective identity is considered in an overview of the varieties of boarding schools and an inside look at lifestyles of both students and teachers. The prep school as entry to the social power structure is documented with statistics and extensive references. The authors are sociologists at New York University. November 12
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

For this book, the authors visited more than 60 elite prep schools in the United States and England, interviewing ad ministrators, faculty, students, and alumni. Attended by less than one per cent of the high school population, these schools turn out a disporportion ate number of business, professional, and government leaders. The authors argue that the philosophies, programs, and lifestyles of boarding schools help transmit the power and privilege of elite families. They show how students are selected and examine the curricula, teaching styles, student underlife, and the link between prep school atten dance and admission to the ``right'' uni versities and the corporate boardroom. An interesting sociological study as well as an educational document. Shirley L. Hopkinson, Library & Infor mation Science Div., California State Univ., San Jose
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (September 30, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0465062695
• ISBN-13: 978-0465062690
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #195,724 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A glimpse into how the social elite inherit privilege., August 30, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Preparing For Power: America's Elite Boarding Schools (Paperback)

This book provides an interesting glimpse into the lives of students, teachers, and administrators of elite boarding schools. It describes the costs and benefits to students (and teachers) of an elite boarding school education, and how this "rite of passage" encourages the idea among students that their advantages are earned. It also describes how elite students are socialized for power; and how their social contacts and schools help them gain acceptance to the best colleges and, later, into the best jobs, with the full complicity of the college admissions officers. This is an easy-to-read, well-researched, and interesting book. My only complaint is that it is too short!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Leadership is an art and honed by practice., April 27, 2008

By 

Jake - See all my reviews

This review is from: Preparing For Power: America's Elite Boarding Schools (Paperback)

I am person, from the lower-middle class, who went to public school, state universities for my B.S. and my Masters. When I read this book and the book, of The Art of Getting Things Done by Richard Brislin, several years ago, I began to understand the political deftness and self-confidence of people I meet who came from well to do families. From birth, they model the lives of their parents who are highly paid professinals in professional service firms like law or accounting or high-powered exectives in Fortune 500 corporations. As both books point out, then through have these behaviors ingrained until adolescence, where then private education's honing influnce takes shape. The practice of self-government of the schools by the students, a ruthless ethos of performance and results of making the grade, practicing behaviors that are the signals of leadership are honed in the classroom's demanding education and the politcally charged enviornment outside the classroom. It was a huge "AHA" momement about myself. For example politicians, John Kerry and George Bush both went to the same private school. Barrack Obamas went to private schools in Hawii paid for by his grandparents. I better understand my limitations and constraints and why I have hit certain ceilings in my life. The system does reach down and pull in the highly intelligent and promising candidates from the outside to bring in new blood. However, these are the extreme outliers on the bell curve. Throughout history, the rich and powerful have been sought to pass on to their offspring these mindsets and behaviors.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A well thought-out study of the prep school experience., August 14, 2005

By 

Book Worm (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Preparing For Power: America's Elite Boarding Schools (Paperback)

I enjoyed the anthropological-based approach of this book. The methods and collection of material seemed appropriate and balanced. It also kept my attention with great quotes and inside opinions. A must read for anyone interested in the prep-school experience - just remember that the material is a bit out of date.