...Local author Jeff Schmidt has written on a slightly different topic. DISCIPLINED MINDS examines why the most highly educated groups of people in our society, "professionals," are frequently among the most conservative. From his definitions of conservatism to his vision of why graduate schools foster and develop elitism, Schmidt shows that the process of graduate education, and the subsequent quest for fulfillment in a soul-deadening work environment, contributes to the inability of professionals to creatively express themselves. This book should be read by anyone thinking about embarking on a professional education in any field, as well as by those who wonder why their dream job doesn't seem so dreamy after all.

-- Andrew Pollock