Secrets of a Buccaneer-Scholar: How Self-Education and the Pursuit of Passion Can Lead to a Lifetime of Success (Hardcover)

~ James Marcus Bach (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This is an informative and entertaining account of how to acquire a great education and a good job without classroom instruction or, as Bach puts it, how to become a buccaneer scholar. At 20, he became the youngest technical manager at Apple Computer and probably the only one whose highest academic credential was—and still is—an eighth-grade diploma. Now in his 40s, Bach runs a successful consulting business, and his work has been assigned reading for students at Stanford and MIT. As this book makes clear, Bach is also a gifted teacher. The steps along his road to achievement are detailed in clear chunks. Anyone looking for an instruction manual on how to get a high-quality education without having to show up for classes will find all they need here. The book may also be a healing balm to parents whose children are struggling in school, providing both with helpful tools. (Sept.)
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Review

"In straightforward language, James Bach details his methods, which could convert America's million-plus yearly dropouts into a new source of national wealth." -- JOHN TAYLOR GATTO, author of Weapons of Mass Instruction, former New York State Teacher of the Year

"Secrets of a Buccaneer-Scholar is about the thrill of taking responsibility for your own thinking. James Bach demonstrates that the pursuit of intelligence is what makes you intelligent, more than any inborn IQ or formal certification. His story is shameless, reckless and inspiring while his unique methods transfer competency to every reader. Secrets of a Buccaneer-Scholar is a wicked smart book about becoming wicked smart." -- STAN SLAP, president/CEO of slap, an international consulting group

"An informative and entertaining account of how to acquire a great education and a good job without classroom instruction...a healing balm for parents whose children are struggling in school, providing both with helpful tools." -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Scribner (September 8, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439109087
• ISBN-13: 978-1439109083
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #16,976 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars What It Takes To Be a Buccaneer, July 23, 2009

By	Kevin Currie-Knight "Education Grad Student" (Newark, Delaware) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

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The original title for this book was School Kills. While James Bach changed the title, there is still some of this very message in his book. Bach is not as anti-school as he is a believer that the best learning is that a person does on their own because they want to.

Secrets of a Buccaneer Scholar alternates between chapters outlining Bach's theory of learning (a very Montesorrian free-flowing approach) and autobiographical chapters detailing his fall from high-school as a drop out to his rise in the computer world - all due to the kind of self-motivation and passionate learning he was disallowed from in high school. At times, Bach can come off as a bit cocky and conceited, like when he tells us of memorizing hte first 41 digits of pi just for kicks (reciting them for us again), or when he explains why he doesn't "know how to talk about things that don't matter." (kindle edition, loc. 1798)

I have mixed feelings about this book, especially as a teacher. One the one hand, I was and am very much one of the buccaneers Bach talks about. I coasted in high school, went to a non-academic music college, discovered learning on my own, read constantly, and now have two masters degrees and am in pursuit of a PhD. Bach is certainly correct that the best learning - that which is often discouraged in school - is that which one does passionately on their own.

On the other hand is the question that Bach does not much address as to whether this approach would set as many kids up for failure as success. It is evident from Bach's book that he was strongly motivated and had an uncanny sense of self-discipline. I have met too many students whose motivations (for anything) was low enough that I would not trust that if they guided their own education, they would come up short of what they needed. Also, there is a question which has existed ever since Montessori pioneered the student-directed education theory about whether students should be the judge of what information they will need to learn. Self-education may be a good idea for some, but do others have the motivation and forethought required to guide their own education? These are open questions that I found to be unconvincingly handled in Bach's book.

Whatever your take - or if you don't have a take at all - this book is an interesting read. Bach is very open and introspective, and writes in a very inviting first-person style. And for those interested in hearing Bach's view of education applied (dare I say) systemically, check out Weapons of Mass Instruction: A Schoolteacher's Journey through the Dark World of Compulsory Schooling.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Idiosyncratic, August 26, 2009

By	Michael Gunther (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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James Bach is a high-school dropout who achieved a successful career as a consultant and trainer in the field of software testing. In "Secrets of a Buccaneer-Scholar," he shares some of his thoughts about his career, his self-education, and his general philosophy of life. Note the repetition of the pronoun: this book is all about *him*. Examples: "Other minds exercise my thinking and applaud my exploits," "My mind is free," "I can learn on purpose while also creating opportunities to learn by accident," "If I try to understand, but fail, that's progress."

I wanted to give the book a positive rating, because I agree completely with the author's core advocacy of constant lifelong learning. However, in reading it I was put off by the book's random organization, banal mottoes, relentless self-promotion, and ranting against formal education. I think it is likely to appeal almost exclusively to readers who share the author's unorthodox cognitive style and point of view. In short, it was written by a maverick drop-out to be read by other maverick drop-outs. If that fits your situation, you might enjoy reading it.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Agree or disagree with his views, it is a thought-provoking, great read, July 15, 2009

By	Justin M. Hunter (Chapel Hill, NC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The writer Geoge Leonard once described lecturing as the "best way to get information from teacher's notebook to student's notebook without touching the student's mind." This sums up much of James Bach's views on traditional education and helps explain his violent reaction against it. Much better, implies James in his book (and, more importantly, backed by his actions) to learn and explore on your own and about things that interest you, and develop a passion for a wide range topics, as he has done, than suffer the Leonardian fate of thoughtless note-taking and conformist hoop-jumping to "get ahead in the world".

The book is a highly entertaining romp through Jame's fascinating life from a mathematically-gifted young rebel who intentionally failed his tests and wound up dropping out of high school and living in a hotel room as a teenager (sans-parents), through his early career as a self-taught software programmer who became one of Apple's youngest managers, to his current career as an internationally-recognized expert on software testing.

James seems to enjoys being intentionally provocative and he is good at doing it in a thoughtful, insightful way. He shares his views on how he has learned and how he has made his personal learning style work for him throughout his life in an engaging and enjoyable style. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, regardless of their views on traditional education or whether they have an IT background. If you read it, I predict you'll find it entertaining and that reading it will cause you to think about education and "life-long learning" differently.

- Justin Hunter
Founder and CEO
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