For anyone who enjoys political reading, I'd recommend "What's Liberal About the Liberal Arts: Classroom Politics and 'Bias' in Education" by Michael Berube, a literature professor at Penn State.
The book is basically Berube's response to conservative politicians and pundits — especially David Horowitz, who included Berube in his book "The Professors: The 101 Most Dangerous Academics in America" — who are part of an academic reform movement that believes college professors are dangerous to American society because of liberal bias in their classrooms.
"What's Liberal" not only includes a direct response to the arguments in favor of a need for reform, but it also includes a fascinating glimpse into Berube's classroom, specifically two different classes he has taught in the past, and how he attempts to maintain a flow of diverse viewpoints.
Berube has a knack for making his arguments with wit and with some convincing examples. His style is what makes good political writing great, and, for me, it made it hard to put the book down.
The classroom insight, which includes Berube's semester-long challenge to make one conservative student's voice be heard in class full of liberal-minded students, allows for a practical look at the issue — and serves to strengthen his argument that he's not part of a bias problem, be it perceived or real.
Clearly, this debate about the possibility of bias in education can be a polarizing one. And if you consider yourself a conservative you might find some of Berube's arguments a bit course. But, that's what debate is all about — backing up what you're saying. Overall, I think it's a great read for those on either side of the debate.
And, to be balanced, you can always take a look at Horowitz's "Professors."
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