Synopses & Reviews
A Buccaneer-Scholar is anyone whose love of learning is not muzzled or shackled by any institution or authority; whose mind is driven to wander and find its own place in the world.
The volatility of the job market and the limitless opportunities afforded by the internet have forever changed people's attitudes about schooling. In this world of rapid technological development, people are becoming successful, making money and finding personal satisfaction through non-traditional means. Ideas have become more important than training; innovation is more important than credentials. The ability to educate oneself -- to learn how to learn -- is crucial.
James Bach, the son of bestselling author Richard Bach (Jonathan Livingston Seagull, ) understands that. Like so many young people, James struggled in school, eventually dropping out at age sixteen. A few years later, he was leading a team at Apple Computer. Now an internationally recognized expert in the field of computer software testing, James has written Secrets of a Buccaneer-Scholar: a groundbreaking book that shows how anyone can create their own education on their own terms. It is nurturing our individual curiosities and relishing the learning process that will lead anyone -- from children struggling in school to professionals looking to jumpstart their careers -- to success.
In his unique pithy and anecdotal style, and combining his personal story with proven methodologies, James describes the relentless, whimsical, low-intensity learning process he calls buccaneering. Secrets of a Buccaneer-Scholar demonstrates that it is the people who chart their own course, who never stop learning, who will come to dominate this new world.
Review
“With remarkable insight, James Bach describes the tools, skills and mindset necessary to create your own education. If the millions of students currently sitting in class took Bach’s simple advice and began creating products, projects, and organizations in the real world, unemployment could be solved practically overnight.”
--Dale J. Stephens, Founder of UnCollege.com
Review
“Bach’s book is a wake-up call. I recommend it to just about anyone who wants to hear a different take on learning from what they’ve heard from parents and teachers.”
--Earnthis.net
Review
“James Bach has demonstrated that there are opportunities for each one of us to expand the innate capacity of our mind to learn and be creative without surrendering to the dictates of an academic establishment.”
--Theradicalhumanist.com
Synopsis
Bach's smart and empowering guide to self-education shows how leading a life in pursuit of passion can result in fulfillment and success. Anyone looking for an instruction manual on how to get a high-quality education without having to show up for classes will find all they need here.--"Publishers Weekly."
Synopsis
Like many young people, James Bach struggled in school. While he excelled in some subjects—earning A’s in physics and calculus—he barely passed the courses that didn’t interest him. By the time he was sixteen, he dropped out. After teaching himself computer programming and software design, he started working as a manager at Apple Computer—and he never looked back. Now, in
Secrets of a Buccaneer-Scholar, James shares with readers how he acquired his own education on his own terms, and how that unorthodox education brought ?him success.
James uses the metaphor of a buccaneer to convey a love of learning and pursuit of knowledge that is not bound by institutions or authorities. He shows how every reader can develop a method for acquiring knowledge and expertise that showcases their unique abilities.
About the Author
James Bach is an expert in the field of computer software testing who has taught critical thinking and software testing to rocket and nuclear scientists at such places as the Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He lives in Eastsound, Washington with his wife and son.