Don't Go Back to School: A Handbook for Learning Anything

Here is a radical truth: school doesn’t have a monopoly on learning. More and more people are passing on traditional education and college degrees. Instead they’re getting the knowledge, training, and inspiration they need outside of the classroom. Drawing on extensive research and talking to over 100 independent learners, Kio Stark offers the ultimate guide to learning without school. Don’t Go Back to School tells you how to learn what you need to learn in order to do what you need to do, without having to bend your life or your finances to fit into traditional schooling. This inspiring and practical guide provides concrete strategies and resources for getting started as an independent learner. Don’t Go Back to School is essential reading if you’re considering traditional higher education—and if you’re ready to become an independent learner.

Praise for Don't Go Back to School

"You don't need school for that! This is not a book about an easy path, but a book about a path that works. If you want to learn, go learn. But you don't need school for that." Seth Godin, author, Stop Stealing Dreams

"Don't Go Back to School makes good on the advice offered on the cover. It is a brisk, useful guide to learning what you need to learn without having to finish college, or go to grad school. Kio Stark has interviewed a roster of amazing, self-taught talents about how they did it, and distilled those observations into an essential guide." Clay Shirky, NYU Professor, author, Here Comes Everybody and Cognitive Surplus

“Not going to graduate school felt like a failure at the time, but wound up being the best choice I ever made. It set me out on a path of self-learning and discovery that led me to work I love, work that would've never flown in an academic setting. How I wish I'd had Kio's book as a guide to help me along the way!” —Austin Kleon, author, Steal Like an Artist

Kio Stark is a writer, researcher, teacher, and passionate activist for independent learning. She is also the author of the novel Follow Me Down. You can find out more about her work at www.kiostark.com.