Knowledge Most Worth Having

The Knowledge Most Worth Havingrepresents the essence of education at the University of Chicagofaculty and students grappling with key intellectual questions that span the humanities, while still acknowledging the need to acquire a depth of knowledge in one's chosen field. The papers collected here were delivered during an often-heated conference at the university in 1966, and include contributions from such scholars as Northrop Frye, Richard McKeon, and, of course, the dean of the college, Wayne Booth himself. Taken as a whole, they present a passionate defense of liberal education, one that remains highly relevant today.

Wayne C. Booth (1921–2005) was the George Pullman Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago where he taught in the Department of English, the Committee on Ideas and Methods, and the College. The Essential Wayne Booth was published this spring by the University of Chicago Press.