About Mary Bartling:

I’m a Humanities geek with a Doctor of Liberal Arts degree. And, I’m here on my soapbox preaching about the benefits of literature, and in-depth reading. It’s my belief that independent thinking skills should be at the forefront of education. These skills train the mind to crave knowledge beyond the textbook, and cultivate an ability to see how the various branches of knowledge influence one another. No matter who you are, where you live, or how you make a living, independent thinkers have an easier time adapting to an ever-changing world.

Needless to say, I don’t agree with every thought expressed in every book I read, nor should I. That’s rather the point. Those thoughts are out there, though. And, while I may not agree with them it’s important to understand where other people “are coming from,” as the saying goes. Accordingly, fresh insights like these cultivate independent thinking… a result of giving each book the in-depth, and careful reading it deserves.