"The word on the street today is that the humanities are in crisis, partly because of shrinking budgets and job-conscious students, partly because 'theory' has allegedly turned those students off. In this sharply argued book, Paul Jay convincingly refutes both these popular views, demonstrating that humanities education and its theoretical inquiries teach students the very analytical and communicative skills employers are looking forin many fields." - Gerald Graff, Professor of English and Education, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA; Author of Clueless in Academe: How Schooling Obscures the Life of the Mind

"Anyone seeking arguments in support of the humanities will find a rich resource in the materials that Paul Jay has put together in this book. He combines a thorough synthesis of debates across the field with well-reasoned and persuasive arguments that go beyond the tired bromides and platitudes too often hauled out in support of the study of literature, philosophy, and other humanistic disciplines. In the process, he lays to rest some of the myths and misunderstandings that have created a rhetoric of "crisis," and offers his readers solid evidence that the humanities are as vital today as in any other moment." - Johanna Drucker, Breslauer Professor of Bibliographical Studies, University of California, Los Angeles, USA

"With this book, Paul Jay enters the national debate on the crisis in the humanities, elucidating the standoff between those who argue the value of literature for its own sake and those who argue the value of the humanities as an arena in which to hone professional skills." - Sidonie Smith, Professor of English, University of Michigan, USA