Carlo Rotella with James Parker: What Can I Get Out of This?

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An eloquent and moving story about the value and the pleasures of intellectual exploration—and why it matters beyond the classroom.
At a time when college students and their parents often question the "return on investment" from humanities courses, accomplished feature writer and English professor Carlo Rotella invites us into the minds of a group of skeptical first-year students who are ultimately transformed by a required literature class.
In What Can I Get Out of This? he follows thirty-three students through his class to provide an intimate look at teaching and learning from their perspectives as well as his own. The students' reluctance—"How does this get me a job?"—transforms into insight as they wrestle with challenging books, share ideas, discover how to think critically, and form a community. In all these ways, they learn how to extract meaning from the world around them, an essential life skill. Confronting skeptics of higher education, this compassionate and inspiring book reveals the truth of what students actually experience in college.

Carlo Rotella is a professor of English at Boston College and a regular contributor to the New York Times Magazine. A resident of Brookline, he is the author of books about cities, music, boxing, and teaching and learning, among other subjects.

James Parker is an Atlantic staff writer, co-editor of The Pilgrim, a literary magazine from the homeless community of downtown Boston, and the author of Get Me Through The Next Five Minutes: Odes to Being Alive. He lives in Brookline.

Brookline Booksmith, thriving in the heart of Coolidge Corner in Brookline, Massachusetts, since 1961, is one of New England’s premier independent bookstores. We offer a vast selection of books, ranging from current bestsellers to the most eclectic titles. We are also known for our beautiful and inspired gifts. Customers buy and sell gently used books in our treasured Used Book Cellar and enjoy our bountiful bargain book selection. We host award-winning events series (including our groundbreaking Transnational Literature Series), offering more than 300 author talks, community conversations, and book clubs annually. Find more at brooklinebooksmith.com!

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