Saw this book on Bill Gates' list of books he was interested in reading. I have one son in college, another in his senior year of high school, and a freshman in high school. As a college senior many years ago, I worked in the admissions office of my college, and thought I had a pretty good idea of how the admissions process worked.

Not only do I have a better understanding of the mechanics of college admissions, I have a much greater appreciation for the inequity inherent in higher education. We do ourselves no favors when we deny opportunity to students based solely on their standardized scores - we're depriving ourselves of the next generation of doctors, policy makers, leaders, entrepreneurs whose experiences would enrich the work they do and benefit everyone.

I'm grateful for Tough's book; I have a much different appreciation of the role of a college education in social mobility - and the many obstacles students from less advantaged backgrounds face when they attempt to secure that mobility. Highly recommended.