Why Do I Have to Take This Course? A Guide to General Education [Revised Edition]

Reviewed by Rachel Feldwisch, Associate Dean, College of Education & Behavioral Sciences, University of Indianapolis on 9/1/25

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

While Tracy's text was less comprehensive than Zakaria (2015), I found her writing to be approachable and inclusive. For example, Tracy defined key terms associated with the college experience. She answered commonly asked questions related to liberal arts education in brief excerpts that would fit well in many contexts. The "For Instructors" section was also a highlight of this text.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Coverage of history was brief and accurate. Information was presented without error or bias. Content aligned with common knowledge in higher education.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The textbook is timely, as we find ourselves in the United States having to defend the value of a liberal arts education. Public institutions are fighting against funding cuts and the closure of academic programs. We feel a political push toward professional and technical programs in the United States. Given the current lack of public confidence in traditional higher education, a textbook like this could help explain the value of liberal arts to our own students who someday may advocate for educational experiences like their own. While the textbook is timely, the issues addressed are unlikely to become outdated anytime soon.

Clarity rating: 5

The textbook was written in an accessible way and could easily be understood by college students. As previously mentioned, I found the definitions of key terminology to be quite helpful.

Consistency rating: 5

Each segment contained learning objectives, reflective questions, "Final Thoughts," and References/Further reading. The consistency of this outline would be helpful to college learners.

Modularity rating: 5

The author used her own institution as an example, but otherwise the book is not specific to any college setting and is not overly self-referential. Tracy provided guidance on assigning sections under "Course Examples."

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The book included an engaging introduction with a video link. Text was divided into four main sections, and the author shared that instructors may use the entire book or specific sections that would be helpful within a particular course of study.

Interface rating: 5

I did not observe any issues with navigation, images, or general interface of the textbook.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I did not observe any grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The videos provided include images of people representing different cultural backgrounds. The book included a land acknowledgement and a tribute to activist John Lewis. Subsequently, the concept of "Good, Necessary Trouble" was woven throughout the book. The text was not offensive or culturally insensitive in any way, but I found it to be relatively specific to higher education in the United States. The text may have relevance in other English-speaking countries.

The book was informative and easy to read. I envision this text working well as part of a freshman seminar course.