Customer Reviews

This Book Is Not Required: An Emotional Survival Manual for Students

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My best friend and I discovered the first edition of this book in a used bookstore while we were in college. We talked about and quoted its advice for the rest of our time in school, and even now that we've graduated, the book still comes up in our conversations from time to time.

Bell's chapter on love is worth the price of the book in itself; it distills academic critiques of Western notions of romantic love into clear-headed advice for young people learning to deal with sex and relationships. But that's only a small part of a book about what it really means to learn and think for yourself, what it means to be a good teacher, and all the ways the modern university can fail to support true learning. Everything from the chapter on questioning conventional career ambitions to the section on the definition of the self is influenced by progressive sociology and Eastern spirituality, but Bell presents her challenging ideas in ways that her student audience can easily relate to.

I recommend the book to anyone who's in college. It'll rearrange your mind and get you thinking about your life and your surroundings in ways you never have before.

Reading this book for the first time (I have read it many times since) I was most impacted by the chapter on grades. Bell hits the nail on the head: the entire system of grading, whether necessary for ranking students or not, does influence the way students perceive themselves. True learning happens when one is free from the quest for an A...when one is learning for the learning's sake.

This book is an excellent emotional and psychological lifesaver for any high school, college, or grad student. I love this book!

"This book was written for me." That is what you will say after reading the first few chapters. It tells all about why we do the things that we do in college, such as procrastinating, cramming, lazyness, and other college-related things. It also explains professors and how to get on their good side and why they act the way they do. This book also explains college love and what happens when you graduate. Inge Bell is completely on the level with us, it make you feel as though you have a link to the inside of college institutions. It's a must-read.

This was an excellent book! I am nearing the end of my undergraduate degree now and plan to pursue a Master's degree. This book helped me to put my life and my goals into perspective. For the greater part of my life, I have become obsessed with grades and the pusuit of things to add to my resume that will ensure myself of getting into a good grad school and being awarded with a good career upon graduation. I disagree with readers who criticize Bell for being one-sided in her anti-institionalism (some say socialist) arguements. Common sense tells most students that grades are important because the reality is that our educational background and subsequent GPA help determine where we end up in life after university. The point is though that these things HELP but they are not the be-all-end-all nor should they be. It takes much more to define a person and build their character. In North American society, as young people we are constantly bombarded with the pressures of accomplishment and achievement through school and work. Of course, these are more than noble goals but when is it ever enough? This is what I see as the main point of the book and the author is sending us a warning to "stop and smell the roses" in life before we end up directionless and unfilled. Great addition to every young person's reading list!

This is a great book. It makes a great high school graduation gift for any kid about to go off to college. I wish I'd been able to read it before I began my undergraduate education. It points out a lot of pitfalls and potential problems that most recent high school grads are totally oblivious to in addition to reminding people there's more to living than trying to make the dean's list every semester. You need friends, you need a real life, you need to be comfortable with who you are.

Being a non-traditional student, I needed this years ago. This would have uncovered the mystery of College for me as a teenager and explained so much that College courses just do not offer to Freshmen. I will hand this down to my children and encourage any parent to purchase it for all High School Seniors.

I bought this book at the campus bookstore several years ago when I was still in college. It was then, and still is (8 years later) a great and educational book. Despite what they tell you in high school, college isn't just about grades. In fact, I'd say grades are pretty low on the list of what's important about your college years. This is a time of personal growth! Something the professors could care less about. Anyone can get good grades if they study. But what type of person are you? And what type of person are you going to be in life? I know, it sounds pretty deep, but trust me, this Inge Bell person has got it goin' on! This book will help you figure these things out. BUY IT! READ IT! LIVE IT! Don't worry about which commander defeated which army on what date. Or how many elements are in the periodic table. Let professor knows-it-all stress over writing his 40 page thesis so that he can keep his tenure at the University and not have to deal with the real world. I went to 3 different colleges in 5 years and graduated (yes, I did graduate) with a BA in Communication. It is now 8 years later and I remember more from this book than I learned from any professor. By the way, since graduation, I have been on a lot of interviews! Not once has anyone ever asked me about my grades. The same goes for most of my friends from college. You want a good job after college? Here's the secret: INTERNSHIPS! Companies want experience. I didn't intern because I had no idea what I wanted to do after college but if you think you know what you want to do, I'd say you will go farther from an internship with good references than a 4.0 GPA any day. But I digress. This book is awesome! Check it out. Wow, I really freaked out on this review, didn't I?

Twenty years ago, I read an earlier, and much less
expensive, edition of this book. Shortly thereafter,
the book and I parted company. Too bad. I have not seen
the book since. What brings me to this webpage and what
constitutes this review is what I remember: "When you
start to think of your life in terms of a career, worry
and anxiety will be your constant partners"
(paraphrasing from memory). So true. Nonetheless,
college remains a happy memory for me, whatever the
grades I earned back then were. The secret, I think, is
having the right perspective. Inge Bell might be able
to help. At least, she's worth a try.

Another reviewer faults the book for including
Buddhism and socialism. I do remember the Buddhism. It
was my first and only exposure to that religion. I
appreciate that, though the religion is not for me.

Suggestion: look for a used copy of an EARLIER (first
or second) edition. Five stars for those editions.
Looking at those pages of the current (third) edition
visible on amazon, it appears that newly-added
coauthors Bernard McGrane and John Gunderson have added
lots and lots of words. Ugh. They probably have
doctorates in education. Three stars for it. It seems
to be not so "underground" anymore, though you might
still find it useful. Insist on Inge alone, if you can
get it.

I am a college instructor, and I use this book in my introductory level classes. It is especially useful for incoming freshman just out of high school. The book discusses grades, teachers, term papers, graduation, and life in general, subjects often confusing to new college students. I highly recommend this book to people entering the college environment.

I found this book two days ago at a used book store in the clearance section for 1.00! I figured I could spare the dollar and hopefully it would provide me some useful tips at least. Wow, this book is awesome! I have not been able to put it down! Everything spoke to me, and this women gets it, particularly the larger system at play. She is very clear about explaining not only how the education system works (and how it is extremely flawed) and how we have become so conditioned to the BS-created by the gov't, media, and society as well. I have not even finished the book yet and already I have learned so much. I think it is helpful for students to understand how the education system truly works and how it is much more of an indoctrination system.

I work at university and also teach college classes at a local community college. I will definitely be sharing her material in my class! Perhaps I will make it a required read. I am certain that all students could benefit from this book-regardless of their age, gender or level of life experience. I particularly like the concept of grades being a factor that not only creates anxiety but stifles true intellectual curiosity. When you are motivated to learn not just make a grade, so much more can happen-the doors of insight and wisdom will open.

I can't wait to finish this book, so far it has been a treasure!