Book · 2014 · Education
The Smartest Kids in the World
And How They Got That Way
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He was citing Amanda Ripley, who wrote a book called The Smartest Kids in the World and how they got that one.
Stephen Dubner · Freakonomics Radio · Jan 2016 Why people recommend it
The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way by Amanda Ripley is an educational study that investigates international school systems and the factors contributing to academic success abroad. The book was discussed on Freakonomics Radio in two related episodes titled Is America’s Education Problem Really Just a Teacher Problem?, first released on November 27, 2014, and later rebroadcast on January 28, 2016. During the conversation, host Stephen Dubner noted that Joel Klein had previously cited Amanda Ripley's work when discussing global educational models, specifically focusing on how different nations achieved their impressive academic standings. Dubner pointed out that Ripley's book details the rigorous standards of foreign education systems, noting as an example that gaining admission to an education college in Finland is culturally and competitively comparable to getting into MIT in the United States. By incorporating Ripley's findings through Klein's references, the podcast used the book to challenge domestic assumptions surrounding educational reform, teacher quality, and institutional selectivity. The discussion leveraged the text to offer listeners a comparative international perspective on schooling, highlighting the vast structural differences that separate American educational hurdles from the rigorous pathways established in top-performing countries overseas.
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Stephen Dubner He was citing Amanda Ripley, who wrote a book called The Smartest Kids in the World and how they got that one. 2
“He was citing Amanda Ripley, who wrote a book called The Smartest Kids in the World and how they got that one.”
“He was citing Amanda Ripley, who wrote a book called The Smartest Kids in the World and How They Got That Way. To get into education college in Finland is like getting into MIT in the United States.”
