You Are Not Special: and other encouragements

By David McCullough, Jr.

An inspirational reflection on the way we bring up children that will resonate with all parents.

David McCullough, Jr’s high-school graduation address, dubbed You Are Not Special when it went viral on YouTube, was a tonic for parents, students, and educators alike. Now he expands on that speech with wit and a perspective earned from raising four children and teaching high-school students for nearly 30 years.

In this humorous and insightful book, McCullough takes a hard look at helicopter parents, questionable educational goals, professional university coaching, electronic distractions, and more — and advocates for a life of passionate engagement.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Scribe Publications
• Release date: Sep 11, 2014
• ISBN: 9781925113488

David McCullough, Jr.

David McCullough, Jr. taught for sixteen years at Punahou School in Honolulu and has been teaching at Wellesley High School near Boston since 2002. He lives with his wife and four children in Sudbury, Massachusetts.

Reviews for You Are Not Special

[shadowbarbara · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Listened to it. Somewhat repetitive but entertaining with some excellent insights.

[devil_llama · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Built on the famous graduation speech where the author informed a graduating class that they were not special. This book is a series of essays that expand on that theme, and others, such as racism, materialism, and the sexes. There are some profound insights, a number of pithy one-liners, some solid advice, and not just a little mushy thinking in the modern, sort of almost New Age but not quite variety. The work is limited by the author's limited experience; his own life, and that of his students, is one of preppy upper middle to upper class schools, and as such, he has very little comprehension of the average student facing the average teacher in the average school, so some of his observations and advice may sound a bit...precious...but there are a lot of places where the issues being dealt with in these schools sounds eerily similar to that faced in the inner city and rural schools around the nation. The chapter on males and females should be skipped; one wonders where the author is meeting these oh, so stereotypical people, and the chapter oozes with a subtle, probably unrecognized sexism (yes, even though he does point out the less stellar characteristics that supposedly define boys and juxtapose them with the more socially desirable traits in that sphere for the girls - they still fall into men bosses, women nurturers). Overall, it's a worthwhile read, but expect a certain amount of unquestioned conventional wisdom. A bit more research in parts could have been helpful.

[sriemann_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Built from a commencement address that went viral (and I recall seeing) in 2012, the book has some wise ideas mixed in with a few interesting anecdotes. It goes on a little too long in some sections.

[davevanl_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The one point overlooked is that the battle for admission to expensive colleges is a main factor in the increasing cost of those colleges. Prices will change when the market begins looking elsewhere.

[vgaharris · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Rich with one-liners and insightful observations. A little awkward with the delivery in spots but still a magnificent commentary on teaching, students, and the contemporary culture of self-absorption where everyone receives a trophy whether they achieved anything or not.

[skybalon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An interesting expansion on the graduation speech made popular by the title. It covers a little bit of biography and a lot on the author's experienced view on teaching. Even if you don't agree with all of his conclusions, he makes an interesting read along the way.