Taking Time Off [Paperback]

Colin Hall (Author), Ron Lieber (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1996

The book encourages students to take time off before or during college to work, study, travel, or just do something different.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

According to the authors, taking a break before, during, or after college may be the most sure-fire way of enriching your education. Hall and Lieber--only one of whom actually took a breather in the midst of his 16-year educational marathon--have profiled more than thirty such students. One worked as a research assistant in the Amazonian rain forest; another did grass-roots organizing for Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign; still others found employment as soldiers, models, or missionaries. And even less glamorous gigs are likely to build your character, not to mention your resume.

From Library Journal

"If you could be doing anything you wanted right now, what would it be?" ask the authors of this timely introduction to temporary alternatives to college. Thirty-three students, some graduates, some still in school, tell of how they used time off from college?either before or during?to help build housing for the poor, teach disabled people how to ski, model for the jet set, fight in the Gulf War, and promote Arab-Jewish conflict resolution. They did it in their own communities or in faraway places like the Faroe Islands or Zimbabwe. For many, it was hard work; some faced realities they had never encountered before. In the process, however, they gained maturity and self-confidence. The authors, both recent graduates of Amherst College, do a laudable job of covering multiple options and shedding enlightenment on the subject from every angle. An excellent resources section gives the names of organizations to contact for further assistance. The youthful writing will appeal to college-bound adolescents. For public and college libraries.?Arla M. Lindgren, St. John's Univ., New York
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 287 pages
• Publisher: Noonday Pr; 1st edition (July 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374524750
• ISBN-13: 978-0374524753
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,660,630 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensable Guide for the Uncommon Student, August 23, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Taking Time Off (Paperback)

Hall and Lieberhave successfully entered unchartered territory with their New York Times bestseller. While parents may scoff at the notion of their kids taking time off either before or during college, the experiences of students that Hall and Lieber chronicle suggest that valuable experience and new insight can be gained from a student sabbatical.

Hall and Lieber emphasize that students must have a mapped out plan about what they want to do and what they want to gain from their experience. Taking time off is not about bumming around. There is a intellectual component to this endeavor that parents may tend to dismiss. They shouldn't.

Finally, a book that challenges the idea that all people between the ages of 18-22 should go to immediately to college without entertaining the possibility of alternative experiences that would serve them better, at least temporariliy. There is no doubt that young men and women should obtain their college degrees, according to Hall and Lieber... the question simply is when.

KUDOS!!

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Taking Time Off should be on all readings lists!, April 20, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Taking Time Off (Paperback)

I have read this fine book and highly recommend it to ALL college students. Whether or not you know why you are there it can answer your questions about a year off and offer insight on how productive and riching a year can be. I'm contemplating my own year off and this book will be my bible in doing so. It offers a wide variety of activities one can do and has excellent references for those who would like to take time off. I recommend that you read this book and get a glimpse of how to live life.