I stumbled across the website of these two guys, Kent and Kyle Healy, 21 and 19 respectively, who recently co-authored a new book entitled, "Cool Stuff They Should Teach In School".

The book is not a commentary, it's more of a personal-enrichment book, teaching people the skills that our schools don't bother to teach. You know, the stuff you need to know to survive.

Isn't that an oxymoron?

Why don't our schools teach kids the "people-skills" they need to know to get ahead in life? Why don't they teach practical skills like handling your money, managing credit, Stock Market 101, etc.?

Wouldn't you agree that the stuff you had to learn in high school you never really use today, like Algebra, Chemistry, English Literature? I'm not saying to kill these classes, but make them optional for the students who plan to major in subjects that require such higher learning. Instead, let our schools teach the basic fundamentals of math, reading, writing, history, biology, and health. Then by the time kids hit high-school, teach them how to survive the next 60 years of their lives in the real world.

Personally, I think they should make things like Personal Finance, Business, and People Skills, all required courses. There should be classes on Safe Driving Skills, Turning Ideas into Money, Investing Your Money, and stuff like that. I also feel they should require a course on "thinking". I'm not sure how we'd go about teaching kids to "think", but let's suffice it to say that schools right now don't teach them to think; they merely require them to memorize facts and processes out of text-books.

In any case, I think requiring these types of courses at the high-school level will go a long ways towards creating responsible adults, fewer bankruptcies, greater self-esteem, more entrpreneurs, and less government dependence. This may even result in our government having to spend less tax dollars in the long run, you think?

Prologue:

A few months ago Dave and I got together for a business trip in Nashville, and we did a tour the Jack Daniel Distillery in nearby Lynchburg. As part of the presentation, it was noted that Jack Daniel was only 13 years old when he took ownership of the distillery, back in 1863. He moved the distillery to a new location, hired men, and travelled around the country selling his product, before he even grew out of puberty.

Moreover, when Jack was younger, he was adopted by a married couple who were 14 and 16 years old respectively, and they happened to be one of the wealthiest couples in Moore County, TN.

Take a look at the 13, 14, and 16 year olds today, and tell me that we Americans are still just as tough. Of course, people were tougher back then out of necessity. But I think the point is clear that we as a People today, are satisfied to depend on government for our needs.