John J. Miller

 "Jeremy Tate remembers when he tried to inspire his high-school students with talk of great things. 'I wanted them to understand the importance of their education.' Then a girl spoke up: 'Why would it matter if it’s not on the SAT?' Her question has haunted him ever since--and it also roused him to found the Classic Learning Test (CLT), a company that seeks to challenge the duopoly of the ACT and the SAT, the pair of tests that dominate the world of college-entrance exams and increasingly dictate the content of America’s school curricula. Two years ago, only about 1,000 students took the CLT, and few college admissions officers even knew what it was. Last year, more than 10,000 took it, and more than 100 schools accepted it on applications. Tate hopes for 35,000 test-takers this school year, and possibly 100,000 within three years." (National Review) The author reports on how the CLT was started as an "alternative for parents and teachers whose vision of learning differs sharply from what goes on in most of America's classrooms" and how the continued success of it "may even persuade some schools to return to more traditional content."

"This collection of excellent short essays includes many of the most popular and important pieces by John J. Miller, the respected author, journalist, and academic. From literature to music, from movies to writing, from culture to politics, "Reading Around" shows Miller -- the talented director of the Dow Journalism Program at Hillsdale College -- at his peak performance. This best-of book draws from National Review, Wall Street Journal, and other publications and includes pieces on the ancient epics "Gilgamesh" and "Beowulf"; thriller writers Michael Crichton, Daniel Silva, and Brad Thor; science-fiction authors Arthur C. Clarke and Robert A. Heinlein; fantasy novelists J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis; the horror fiction of Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft; movies such as "The Exorcist" and "Red Dawn"; the music of Iron Maiden; the art of Salvador Dali and Frida Kahlo; and much more, including essays on the purpose of libraries, writer's block, and the conundrum of having a common name. The Chronicle of Higher Education has called Miller "one of the best literary journalists in the country," and this volume shows why. For anyone who loves and admires excellent writing, "Reading Around" is an enjoyable must." --Amazon.com.

 "In December [2015], Science hailed CRISPR as its 'breakthrough of the year,' announcing that it promises to do everything from wiping out diseases to creating super crops. 'In short,' said Science, 'it's only slightly hyperbolic to say that if scientists can dream of a genetic manipulation, CRISPR can now make it happen.' Yet these dreams could turn to nightmares if they involve the genetic manipulation of people. 'That's an obvious application of the technology,' says Baltimore. It raises the specter of Dr. Frankenstein's wild experiments and the eugenic goal of designer babies. In an article on CRISPR last year, MIT Technology Review wrote of labs in which 'man rebuilds creation to suit himself' and warned of 'a path toward a dystopia of superpeople.' From these accounts, it would seem that Aldous Huxley's creepy totalitarian vision in Brave New World looms as never before." (National Review) This article discusses the possible dangers of the revolutionary gene-editing CRISPR technique.