My recommendation is In Defense of a Liberal Education by Fareed Zakaria. This is a short, readable, relevant book that makes a powerful case for the liberal arts. That said, Zakaria takes the academy to task for a variety of sins, ranging from overly narrow courses to unsustainable tuition increases. He expounds on the potential of online education, albeit with some skepticism. (Who knew that radio education—listening to lectures broadcast over the airwaves—was once heralded as a transformative technology for American education?) Mostly, this book offers a concise but insightful encapsulation of what education is supposed to accomplish. Along the way, Zakaria’s elegant writing reminds us that public intellectuals can play an important role in refining how we think about important social issues.