With this book, Schlesinger has four primary objectives:
1. Convince readers of the importance of inquiry in our democracy;
2. Illustrate how the very institutions that should be encouraging inquiry such as schools, the media, and government, the Internet are instead undermining intellectual curiosity in our society;
3. Inspire readers with hopeful examples of people working to restore inquiry to its rightful place of importance;
4. Convey a sense of urgency among citizens to develop effective “habits of the mind” and not be easily seduced by instant easy sound bite answers to complex challenges such as global warming.
Death of Why, is a well researched and scrupulously sourced eleven chapters and 215 pages of text. Where Schlesinger’s book is especially provocative is when she takes bloggers like me to task for engaging in robotic group-think and avoiding engagement with people possessing different viewpoints. - by Intrepid Liberal Journal via smirkingchimp
