Deresiewicz, William

Credit Deresiewicz for calling it like it is; college "these days" is a system concerned with class, not necessarily education. However, criticizing higher education because it no longer conforms to an anachronistic ideal of what "liberal arts" means is a willfully facile argument.

Of the plethora of books about Austen's life and work, this is a standout as it addresses the timelessness of Austen's themes to prove the personal—and universal—relevance of literature.