{ "item_title" : "The Pursuit of Knowledge", "item_author" : [" Stephen Leacock "], "item_description" : "Can education cultivate a mind while measuring it at every turn? This philosophical and literary essay enters the lecture room, classroom and examination room to examine the persistent tension between compulsory study and spontaneous learning: between attendance, assigned work and grades on one side, and curiosity, pleasure and genuine understanding on the other. Its focus remains firmly on the student's experience within systems designed to organise knowledge, certify achievement and prepare people for professional life. Teaching, memorisation and literary study become testing grounds for a larger question: how much discipline does learning require, and when does discipline harden into constraint? Drawing on formal education at institutions including McGill University, the essay considers the limitations of standardised assessment without simply dismissing structure. Examinations may record performance, yet they cannot always recognise individual ability; assigned study may provide necessary direction, yet rigid requirements can suppress the very intellectual independence education ought to encourage. Beyond its critique of grading and vocational preparation lies a sustained defence of knowledge pursued for its own sake. The discussion gives particular weight to inspiring teachers, the pleasures of literature and the difference between retaining information and truly engaging with ideas. By holding intellectual freedom and disciplined study in productive tension, the essay asks whether educational institutions can preserve order without narrowing the possibilities of the mind. This book was out of print for decades and is now republished by Alpha Editions. It has been restored for today's and future generations. This edition is not just a reprint - it's a collector's item and a cultural treasure.", "item_img_path" : "https://covers3.booksamillion.com/covers/bam/9/37/841/754/937841754X_b.jpg", "price_data" : { "retail_price" : "14.99", "online_price" : "14.99", "our_price" : "14.99", "club_price" : "14.99", "savings_pct" : "0", "savings_amt" : "0.00", "club_savings_pct" : "0", "club_savings_amt" : "0.00", "discount_pct" : "10", "store_price" : "" } }

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