This book maintains that much of what children and adolescents are taught in school is of limited use to them in succeeding in life. It notes that although most school curricula focus on factual knowledge and cultural enrichment, they fall short in providing students with an education that focuses on individual abilities and inclinations, financial self-sufficiency, moral development, and self-identity. The book advocates a teaching and learning philosophy that makes students largely responsible for their own education and development so that they can function as independent, self-sufficient adults in society. Its central premise is that students need to learn to think for themselves, develop a worthwhile concept of the meaning of life, and learn to maneuver well in their environment. (MDM)