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Readings: The Death of Expertise

Readings: The Death of Expertise

Theinternet has changed the way we acquire and interact with knowledge. Havingready answers at the click of a button doesn’t necessarily meanthey  are reliable, but the truth ispeople tend to trust them more and more, believing they can do without expertopinions. Other factors contribute to the US population becoming less knowledgeable than before, in spite of the amount of  information available, or perhapsbecause  of it (this is the book’s main focus, but it canbe applied in a more general context). The fact that university-level educationis now generalized and schools treat students like clients rather than students,universities seem to be more focused on training than education and the availability of a flood of information  of varying quality –where people can‘Google’ virtually anything; all of this and more leads the author to conclude‘unlimited information is making us dumb’. Even recognizing experts can bewrong - the author offers a hard debate about the role of experts and educated elites inAmerica democracy, engaging citizens, experts and policymakers.

In TheDeath of Expertise, Tom Nichols gives us a pointed view about the reality of American life, with a sense of humour that will leave no oneindifferent.

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