????就算讀者能忽略這些陰謀論，作者的說法還掩蓋了不少系統(tǒng)性的問題：大學(xué)學(xué)費(fèi)正在上漲（這才是學(xué)生及其家庭需要尋求高額貸款的最基本原因），可大學(xué)學(xué)位本身已不再是畢業(yè)后找到一份工作的保證。可是，盡管哈佛大學(xué)（Harvard）、西北大學(xué)（Northwestern）、歐柏林學(xué)院（Oberlin）或其他高等教育機(jī)構(gòu)為學(xué)費(fèi)的上漲出力不少，拉提根并未正面挑戰(zhàn)它們，只是堅(jiān)稱這些機(jī)構(gòu)應(yīng)變得更加透明，向?qū)W生家庭提供清晰具體的賬單，讓后者知道交的到底是什么錢。他也沒有提及年輕人是否真需要上大學(xué)才能成功這一問題，而最近投資大亨彼得?泰爾等人對(duì)此多有探討。（不出意料，拉提根還對(duì)基礎(chǔ)教育作了批評(píng)——缺乏創(chuàng)新、教師平庸等等，值得一提的是，其中根本沒有涉及教師工會(huì)。）

????可是，該書最大的缺陷在于缺乏原創(chuàng)性的報(bào)道，這真是可惜，因?yàn)槔岣珊芟矚g向讀者吹噓自己當(dāng)記者的能耐。（財(cái)政部長蒂姆?蓋特納不同意接受我的采訪……我能理解他的選擇——如果我是蓋特納，我也不會(huì)愿意回答我那些尖銳的問題?。├岣u(píng)大型媒體，稱其經(jīng)常要照顧購買廣告位的政治或商業(yè)集團(tuán)的利益，并暗示媒體上的信息并不總是可靠，因?yàn)樵S多學(xué)者和專家是企業(yè)資助的，這些批判合情合理。然后他繼續(xù)開始搜集能夠支持自己的說法的奇聞?shì)W事、名人名言，還從《華盛頓郵報(bào)》（The Washington Post）、《華爾街日?qǐng)?bào)》（The Wall Street Journal）、《紐約時(shí)報(bào)》（The New York Times）等大報(bào)乃至《制造業(yè)新聞》（Manufacturing News）和《稅務(wù)筆記》（Tax Notes）之類出版物上，歸納出許多事實(shí)來。

????可是，該書沒有多少全面的報(bào)道。舉例來說，作者關(guān)于教育的那一章充斥著對(duì)創(chuàng)新項(xiàng)目的描述，以及麻省理工學(xué)院科學(xué)家尼古拉斯?尼葛洛龐帝、沃倫?巴菲特之女、早教倡導(dǎo)者蘇茜?巴菲特等善心人士的言論。他盛贊可汗學(xué)院（Khan Academy）創(chuàng)始人薩爾曼?可汗，后者別具匠心的教育視頻廣為家長和部分學(xué)校所接受，被用作課堂學(xué)習(xí)的補(bǔ)充。可拉提根從未將我們帶到一個(gè)教室中去——我們看不到學(xué)生為什么有困難，以及如何與其作斗爭(zhēng)，更看不到他提倡的解決方案落到實(shí)處是何效果。他向我們講述使學(xué)習(xí)資源更容易獲得、學(xué)習(xí)進(jìn)程更為高效的科技，卻不作展示，我們從未聽到一個(gè)學(xué)童或家長講述自己的經(jīng)驗(yàn)。相反，這個(gè)民粹主義者花了大把時(shí)間來跟象牙塔中人交流。

????綜上所述，這本書充滿了憤怒與激情，但完全缺乏內(nèi)涵。我重申，這太遺憾了，因?yàn)槔岣究梢哉页霰姸鄠€(gè)人故事來，闡述好銀行大盜和各種惡棍造成的問題，同時(shí)提出修復(fù)教育、醫(yī)療保健、銀行和其他破碎體系的方案。至于你是否該買拉提根這本書，本?富蘭克林曾經(jīng)寫道：“省下一便士，等于賺得兩便士?！比绻阈枰?jiǎng)e人解釋該表述才能明白，那或許拉提根的書正適合你。

????譯者：小宇

????Even if the reader puts aside this conspiracy theory, the author glosses over a few systemic problems: College tuitions are rising (which is why students and their families take out big loans in the first place) yet a college degree on its own is no longer a guarantee of employment post-graduation. But Ratigan doesn't take on Harvard or Northwestern or Oberlin or any of the institutions of higher education that are contributing to the rising cost of school, other than to insist they become more transparent and provide families with itemized bills showing what they are paying for. Nor does he address the question of whether young people really need to attend college to be successful, an issue that investor Peter Thiel has taken up recently, for example. (Notably absent from Ratigan's unsurprising critique of elementary education -- not enough innovation, mediocre teachers -- is any mention of teachers' unions.)

????But the book's biggest shortcoming is its lack of original reporting, a shame, since Ratigan likes to remind his readers of his journalistic bona fides. ("[Treasury Secretary Tim] Geithner wouldn't agree to do an interview with me ... I can understand his choice -- if I were Geithner, I wouldn't want to answer my tough questions either!") Ratigan, justifiably, criticizes big media for often being beholden to political and business interests that buy advertising, and implies that information in the press may not always be reliable because so many academics and experts are funded by corporations. But then he proceeds to grab anecdotes, quotes that support his assertions, and assorted facts from the likes of The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times -- even outlets Manufacturing News and Tax Notes.

????But there's very little in the way of shoe-leather reporting. His section on education, for example, is full of descriptions of innovative programs and quotes from well-meaning folks like MIT's Nicholas Negroponte and Susie Buffett, Warren Buffett's daughter and an advocate for early education. He praises Sal Khan of the Khan Academy, whose innovative teaching videos are widely embraced by parents and even some schools to supplement classroom learning. But he never takes us inside a classroom -- we don't see how and why students struggle, nor do we get a glimpse of his proposed solutions in action. He tells, but doesn't show, us techniques for making learning more accessible and effective. We never hear a child or parent talking about their experiences. Instead, this populist spends a lot of time talking to Ivory Tower types.

????The result is a book that is full of anger and passion, but utterly lacking in heart. Again, this is too bad, because there are many personal stories that Ratigan could have found to illustrate the problems caused by banksters and villains, but also to show how to fix classrooms, healthcare, banking and other broken systems. As for whether you should buy Ratigan's book, as Ben Franklin once wrote, "A penny saved is twopence dear." And if you need that expression explained, perhaps Ratigan's book is perfect for you.