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Worthless: The Indispensible Guide to Choosing the Right Major
"Worthless" is the single most important book young men and women can read before they attend college. While teachers, guidance counselors and even parents are afraid to tell you the truth in an effort to spare your feelings, “Worthless” delivers a blunt and real-world assessment about the economic realities and consequences of choosing various degrees with a necessary and tough fatherly love. Don’t lie to yourself. And certainly don’t waste four years of your youth and thousands of dollars in tuition on a worthless degree. Buy this book and understand why it is important you choose the right major. The book itself could be the wisest investment you ever make.
180 pages, Paperback
First published December 5, 2011
23 people are currently reading
292 people want to read
About the author
Aaron Clarey
28 books169 followersAaron Clarey is an American blogger, author, and financial consultant.
A self-described "asshole", he is known for his critical view of the U.S. system of higher education, as well as his disdain for feminism.
A self-described "asshole", he is known for his critical view of the U.S. system of higher education, as well as his disdain for feminism.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
December 5, 2020
Here is what this book will tell you, in a nutshell:
--You should major in a STEM field, preferably in some type of engineering other than environmental. Clarey discusses and ranks the various engineering fields, but basically, any type of engineering except for environmental is OK. Also OK: degrees leading to jobs in the medical profession (although Biology and especially Kinesiology are discouraged); accounting, statistics, econometrics, and actuarial degrees (though Economics and Finance are discouraged); and computer-oriented degrees. Clarey says little about majors in theoretical sciences such as "pure" math or physics, but it is safe to assume he would discourage them for being not practical enough.
--Also OK is any training that will produce a precise and valued skill. Trade school and military routes are encouraged. The author is vehement that "the lowly plumber has more in common with the bio-engineer than does a doctorate in philosophy because the plumber, like the bio-engineer, produces something of value." Trade school is considered "a superior option to the humanities or liberal arts" because it leads to the acquisition of a skill that is in demand.
--The economics of supply and demand should exclusively dictate what one chooses to study. This is a major point of the book. The author gives the model of a medieval European village in which everyone is expected to pull his weight by providing a genuinely useful service to the community. In such a village, there is no room for "the professional activist, the social worker, the starving artist, the trophy wife, the socialite or the welfare bum." Everyone must contribute something that is in demand by the other villagers. By contrast, in modern American society, people increasingly choose educational paths that bear no resemblance to the products and services they actually want and need--everyone demands cars, gas, and gadgets, but fewer and fewer people are willing to study the fields needed to produce them. Instead of electrical and petroleum engineering, people major in "soft" subjects that do not enable them to create sought-after commodities. In the author's pithy words, "I have yet to see a student ask Santa for 'a lecture about women's studies.'"
--Education, particularly higher education, is something of a conspiracy. Its de facto role is to supply teaching and administrative jobs to the thousands of people with worthless degrees. The author points out that in America, the government spends much more on education than on Big Oil or the military, and argues that many self-serving people are after a piece of that money. Mostly, he thinks schoolteachers are disingenuous. He also asserts that "soft" degree programs are pushed because they turn a higher profit for universities than sciences programs. General education and core requirements--"prerequisites," as he calls them--are viewed as a massive waste of time and tuition money, because students can become well-rounded just from having friends and interests. In his view, liberal arts departments pass on useless knowledge at a high cost to students; their goal is to supply salaries to professors with degrees from the same departments. He calls this "The Circle of Why Bother."
--You should not major in Architecture, Political Science, Communications/Journalism, Marketing, Business, HR, or anything in the liberal arts or humanities for economic reasons, moral reasons, and because of the author's distaste for them. This distaste gets plenty of attention in the book. Just a sampling: "When you major in Finance, you must understand that you are majoring in something barely more moral or ethical than being a lawyer." "[Politicians] don't really care about the people, they just couldn't find real jobs." "[Minority-studies degrees] are particularly dirty and low degrees in that not only are they worthless, but they target minority groups as their victims. [...] There is no employable skill in merely having a trait you were born with." And finally, "Declaring a worthless major is simply shouting out to the world, 'I'm a parasite and have no intentions of working for a living. I want to do what I want to do and I want the rest of you to pay for it. I ultimately want to produce nothing society wants [...] I also want society to create some make-work job for me so my ego isn't bruised and I can make believe I'm a real-word-live [sic] adult too. And if you dare point out what I'm doing in the real world is nothing more than parasiting off of others, I'll cowardly hide myself behind some altruistic crusade and excuse of you of being a racist, a misogynist, or a hater of children."
Among his arguments are that everyone who achieved success in the arts or business did so without studying them formally, and that any subject that can be learned by reading books should be studied in a library for free. He actually includes this chart:
Degree: / Replacement: / Savings:
Foreign Languages / Language Software / $29,721
Philosophy / Read Socrates / $29,980
Women's Studies / Watch Daytime TV / $30,000
Journalism / Start a blog / $30,000
Radio/Broadcasting / Apply / $30,000
Political Science / Listen to talk radio / $30,000
Theater / Audition for a play / $30,000
Literature / Go to the library / $30,000
English / Speak English / $30,000
--Your life will be hell if you don't take the author's advice. Choosing a soft major will lead to poverty, health problems, and even divorce. Four years of studying something "rigorous" is a small price to pay to avoid a lifetime of misery.
The author makes some good points in this book. In particular, his economic argument is compelling. Supply and demand for careers is indeed an important consideration when it comes to choosing what to study, and it is true that far too few people are telling students this. Also, the author spends a bit of time urging students to make friends with math and arguing that anyone can excel at math if they put in the time and effort. This is excellent advice that is much-needed in our country. For these aspects alone, I consider this book a worthwhile read.
However, it was a mistake for Clarey to let his argument veer into issues of morality and taste. His frequent suggestions that certain fields/career choices are immoral and disgusting is quite off-putting. The book is full of scorn for "washed-out," "ponytailed," "unemployed" professors, for academic jargon, and for the perceived laziness and dishonesty of all who major in "worthless" fields. Not only that, but there is a lot in this book that is plainly misguided, and reveals how little Clarey knows about the fields he deplores. He frequently argues that high-level study of writing and English are useless because "if you are 18 years old and got accepted into an accredited college, then it's a pretty safe bet you're fluent enough in English." Unfortunately, Clarey's own not-great writing betrays that there is in fact a need for college English courses. His argument that having interests is a substitute for taking general education courses is especially unconvincing.
And although the strong point of this book is Clarey's sound application of basic economics, he does make some brash proclamations that do not seem grounded in rigor or realism. Among his exaggerations are that a "soft" degree leads not only to a potentially lower income, but to physical and emotional perdition: "Talk to anybody with stress related health problems or who is going through divorce and ask them if they'd trade it in for having to major in a tough subject for four years. I guarantee every one of them would opt to get their PhD in Computer Engineering." Economists tend to be good about not making such leaps of oversimplification, but Clarey apparently is not.
A final, but fundamental objection to Clarey's argument is that there is more to life and happiness than the production of wealth. Perhaps it is true that many people would be better off economically if they followed Clarey's advice. But if everyone did, ours would be a culture without historians, philosophers, theologians, artists, musicians, and writers. No one would take the personal economic risks necessary to follow the humanistic impulse that gives pride and meaning to our collective existence. Clarey does not acknowledge that the medieval village might in fact have been a lot worse for not having social workers or puppeteers. (And yes, someone needs to be a lawyer or a politician, too!) By suggesting that no one needs to study these things in order to do them, Clarey reveals how little he knows about the truly rigorous and worthwhile study that upholds many of these disciplines. It is in fact valuable for a musician to study music, and it is in fact valuable for an artist to study art. Nor is the serious study of art or music a joke. (The same can be said about philosophy, anthropology, sociology, and literature.)
While Clarey overlooks and overshoots a lot in this book, it is nonetheless a useful one. As far as pure employability goes, Clarey is mostly right about the degrees he praises and condemns. If only his broader argument were a little more modest and circumscribed, and a little better balanced by knowledge of other perspectives, this might be a truly good book.
--You should major in a STEM field, preferably in some type of engineering other than environmental. Clarey discusses and ranks the various engineering fields, but basically, any type of engineering except for environmental is OK. Also OK: degrees leading to jobs in the medical profession (although Biology and especially Kinesiology are discouraged); accounting, statistics, econometrics, and actuarial degrees (though Economics and Finance are discouraged); and computer-oriented degrees. Clarey says little about majors in theoretical sciences such as "pure" math or physics, but it is safe to assume he would discourage them for being not practical enough.
--Also OK is any training that will produce a precise and valued skill. Trade school and military routes are encouraged. The author is vehement that "the lowly plumber has more in common with the bio-engineer than does a doctorate in philosophy because the plumber, like the bio-engineer, produces something of value." Trade school is considered "a superior option to the humanities or liberal arts" because it leads to the acquisition of a skill that is in demand.
--The economics of supply and demand should exclusively dictate what one chooses to study. This is a major point of the book. The author gives the model of a medieval European village in which everyone is expected to pull his weight by providing a genuinely useful service to the community. In such a village, there is no room for "the professional activist, the social worker, the starving artist, the trophy wife, the socialite or the welfare bum." Everyone must contribute something that is in demand by the other villagers. By contrast, in modern American society, people increasingly choose educational paths that bear no resemblance to the products and services they actually want and need--everyone demands cars, gas, and gadgets, but fewer and fewer people are willing to study the fields needed to produce them. Instead of electrical and petroleum engineering, people major in "soft" subjects that do not enable them to create sought-after commodities. In the author's pithy words, "I have yet to see a student ask Santa for 'a lecture about women's studies.'"
--Education, particularly higher education, is something of a conspiracy. Its de facto role is to supply teaching and administrative jobs to the thousands of people with worthless degrees. The author points out that in America, the government spends much more on education than on Big Oil or the military, and argues that many self-serving people are after a piece of that money. Mostly, he thinks schoolteachers are disingenuous. He also asserts that "soft" degree programs are pushed because they turn a higher profit for universities than sciences programs. General education and core requirements--"prerequisites," as he calls them--are viewed as a massive waste of time and tuition money, because students can become well-rounded just from having friends and interests. In his view, liberal arts departments pass on useless knowledge at a high cost to students; their goal is to supply salaries to professors with degrees from the same departments. He calls this "The Circle of Why Bother."
--You should not major in Architecture, Political Science, Communications/Journalism, Marketing, Business, HR, or anything in the liberal arts or humanities for economic reasons, moral reasons, and because of the author's distaste for them. This distaste gets plenty of attention in the book. Just a sampling: "When you major in Finance, you must understand that you are majoring in something barely more moral or ethical than being a lawyer." "[Politicians] don't really care about the people, they just couldn't find real jobs." "[Minority-studies degrees] are particularly dirty and low degrees in that not only are they worthless, but they target minority groups as their victims. [...] There is no employable skill in merely having a trait you were born with." And finally, "Declaring a worthless major is simply shouting out to the world, 'I'm a parasite and have no intentions of working for a living. I want to do what I want to do and I want the rest of you to pay for it. I ultimately want to produce nothing society wants [...] I also want society to create some make-work job for me so my ego isn't bruised and I can make believe I'm a real-word-live [sic] adult too. And if you dare point out what I'm doing in the real world is nothing more than parasiting off of others, I'll cowardly hide myself behind some altruistic crusade and excuse of you of being a racist, a misogynist, or a hater of children."
Among his arguments are that everyone who achieved success in the arts or business did so without studying them formally, and that any subject that can be learned by reading books should be studied in a library for free. He actually includes this chart:
Degree: / Replacement: / Savings:
Foreign Languages / Language Software / $29,721
Philosophy / Read Socrates / $29,980
Women's Studies / Watch Daytime TV / $30,000
Journalism / Start a blog / $30,000
Radio/Broadcasting / Apply / $30,000
Political Science / Listen to talk radio / $30,000
Theater / Audition for a play / $30,000
Literature / Go to the library / $30,000
English / Speak English / $30,000
--Your life will be hell if you don't take the author's advice. Choosing a soft major will lead to poverty, health problems, and even divorce. Four years of studying something "rigorous" is a small price to pay to avoid a lifetime of misery.
The author makes some good points in this book. In particular, his economic argument is compelling. Supply and demand for careers is indeed an important consideration when it comes to choosing what to study, and it is true that far too few people are telling students this. Also, the author spends a bit of time urging students to make friends with math and arguing that anyone can excel at math if they put in the time and effort. This is excellent advice that is much-needed in our country. For these aspects alone, I consider this book a worthwhile read.
However, it was a mistake for Clarey to let his argument veer into issues of morality and taste. His frequent suggestions that certain fields/career choices are immoral and disgusting is quite off-putting. The book is full of scorn for "washed-out," "ponytailed," "unemployed" professors, for academic jargon, and for the perceived laziness and dishonesty of all who major in "worthless" fields. Not only that, but there is a lot in this book that is plainly misguided, and reveals how little Clarey knows about the fields he deplores. He frequently argues that high-level study of writing and English are useless because "if you are 18 years old and got accepted into an accredited college, then it's a pretty safe bet you're fluent enough in English." Unfortunately, Clarey's own not-great writing betrays that there is in fact a need for college English courses. His argument that having interests is a substitute for taking general education courses is especially unconvincing.
And although the strong point of this book is Clarey's sound application of basic economics, he does make some brash proclamations that do not seem grounded in rigor or realism. Among his exaggerations are that a "soft" degree leads not only to a potentially lower income, but to physical and emotional perdition: "Talk to anybody with stress related health problems or who is going through divorce and ask them if they'd trade it in for having to major in a tough subject for four years. I guarantee every one of them would opt to get their PhD in Computer Engineering." Economists tend to be good about not making such leaps of oversimplification, but Clarey apparently is not.
A final, but fundamental objection to Clarey's argument is that there is more to life and happiness than the production of wealth. Perhaps it is true that many people would be better off economically if they followed Clarey's advice. But if everyone did, ours would be a culture without historians, philosophers, theologians, artists, musicians, and writers. No one would take the personal economic risks necessary to follow the humanistic impulse that gives pride and meaning to our collective existence. Clarey does not acknowledge that the medieval village might in fact have been a lot worse for not having social workers or puppeteers. (And yes, someone needs to be a lawyer or a politician, too!) By suggesting that no one needs to study these things in order to do them, Clarey reveals how little he knows about the truly rigorous and worthwhile study that upholds many of these disciplines. It is in fact valuable for a musician to study music, and it is in fact valuable for an artist to study art. Nor is the serious study of art or music a joke. (The same can be said about philosophy, anthropology, sociology, and literature.)
While Clarey overlooks and overshoots a lot in this book, it is nonetheless a useful one. As far as pure employability goes, Clarey is mostly right about the degrees he praises and condemns. If only his broader argument were a little more modest and circumscribed, and a little better balanced by knowledge of other perspectives, this might be a truly good book.
July 10, 2012
Mostly very good, but fell off a cliff at the end with the advice to join the military for twenty years because you can't make any "real" money until your 40 years old...puke...that's not true, especially if you major in a non-worthless field.
April 6, 2018
Can be summed up with 'be a plumber or engineer.' Thanks a lot.
February 22, 2012
Blunt, unapologetic, rude,and dream-shattering for some. It also has the distinct advantage of being true. No, you cannot be anything you want. Yes, there are some majors that are worthless. You may not like this reality, but it's important for you to know it before you go hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. Required reading for all high school seniors and their parents.
February 12, 2014
It's hard to say that I "liked" this book. The author seems to have a lot of anger and berates others for following their passions. However, this is a matter-of-fact book that exposes the corruption of universities and other institutions and even the corruption of ourselves in a language (English!) that is easy for his audience to understand. While I am not his target reader (I already graduated school with my worthless degree)it did allow me to rethink getting a graduate degree.
January 11, 2015
This book depressed me with the sheer facts that Academia has become as bloated and ever-expanding as government. With Tuition costs increasing 750% between 1984-2009 (compare to 150% for inflation and 400% for healthcare) one would think incomes for those earning Bachelor degrees were increasing on pace - that is not the case. All of these expenses for degrees - which when compared with job attainment and earned salary within that discipline - pro port an argument for being worthless. Models such as STEM, job evolution, even the Hilary Clinton "Village" model are discussed for determining valuable degrees. You will encounter several a-ah! moments. I always felt that college majors that end in "studies" might be a bad idea. This book confirms it.
June 20, 2021
Should be required reading for anyone considering going to college. And any parent who wants to give solid parenting wisdom so their kids don't waste youth pursuing worthless education.
October 26, 2020
As the name implies this book is pretty much worthless and should be used as an indispensable guide as how not to pursue college or choice of major.
January 4, 2020
The thesis of this book splits into three: 1) The studies of humanities do not guarantee the financial success to the same degree as STEM 2) Universities are operating for profit, therefore misrepresenting the potential futures of humanity's graduates 3) Humanities as subjects of study are utterly and are (mostly) used by people who are too lazy to study STEM, thus in need of a subsidized employment vehicle.
1) The fist part is somewhat obvious. I would presume that every contemporary liberal arts freshman understands that his lifetime earning potential is substantially lower than that of a STEM student or a trade school graduate.
2) While the second point carries a certain element of truth, the author falls into a strict demarcation of good vs evil, portrayed as an unethical social class struggle between the upper class good-for-nothing college administrators milking more and more tuition out of a common youth. The irony with this approach is that it contradicts the second part of the book, where the author covertly positions his views as western libertarian. If the education is run by a free market, then the increase in the volume of student should be reflected in an increased tuition and lower qualities of service, thus from the author's standpoint it should not be considered as unethical.
3) The third point is marginal, as, while in the beginning of the book author states "all liberal arts studies are financially useless", he drops the "financially" soon after. Such viewpoint is derived from author's own misunderstanding of what those studies entail. This misunderstanding is coupled with a defense model where any opposing argument will always be considered as an attack of a "parasite, who feels his cushy lifestyle is threatened". The author's own history and personal investment into the subject also facilitate the narrowing of his viewpoint. What author fails to understand, is that his worldview position is not unique for the ideologies of his generation and a country of origin. There is a whole stratum of population whose identity and values were formed by the different forms of common social conditioning, such as secular-christian moral and life in a capitalist environment. The purpose of education in its traditional sense is not to make money to go to the shopping mall, but to be able to create one's own values, untied from the herd.
In conclusion, there is really no reason for this book to be written. With that said, with the quality of career guidance in our high schools, it might serve to rip off the fake cover of college advertisement for some mediocre kids.
1) The fist part is somewhat obvious. I would presume that every contemporary liberal arts freshman understands that his lifetime earning potential is substantially lower than that of a STEM student or a trade school graduate.
2) While the second point carries a certain element of truth, the author falls into a strict demarcation of good vs evil, portrayed as an unethical social class struggle between the upper class good-for-nothing college administrators milking more and more tuition out of a common youth. The irony with this approach is that it contradicts the second part of the book, where the author covertly positions his views as western libertarian. If the education is run by a free market, then the increase in the volume of student should be reflected in an increased tuition and lower qualities of service, thus from the author's standpoint it should not be considered as unethical.
3) The third point is marginal, as, while in the beginning of the book author states "all liberal arts studies are financially useless", he drops the "financially" soon after. Such viewpoint is derived from author's own misunderstanding of what those studies entail. This misunderstanding is coupled with a defense model where any opposing argument will always be considered as an attack of a "parasite, who feels his cushy lifestyle is threatened". The author's own history and personal investment into the subject also facilitate the narrowing of his viewpoint. What author fails to understand, is that his worldview position is not unique for the ideologies of his generation and a country of origin. There is a whole stratum of population whose identity and values were formed by the different forms of common social conditioning, such as secular-christian moral and life in a capitalist environment. The purpose of education in its traditional sense is not to make money to go to the shopping mall, but to be able to create one's own values, untied from the herd.
In conclusion, there is really no reason for this book to be written. With that said, with the quality of career guidance in our high schools, it might serve to rip off the fake cover of college advertisement for some mediocre kids.
June 8, 2013
This book is now #1 on my high school junior's summer reading list. And I'll be demanding a book report. Aaron Clarey has the balls to say what most people don't regarding higher education. I do think at times he's extreme, but the point would not be made otherwise. This stuff is important, and kids about to enter college need to know it. We're not all winners and we don't all get a trophy just for showing up. You don't get a good life by doing what every other idiot is doing. Warning: supply your own blankie and hot chocolate while reading this; warm fuzzies are not provided!
April 12, 2021
Coming from a Chinese family, I had to go to college, social status. I even went to grad school, college is a scam, a complete waste of time and money. I have been on a reading rampage the last three years, I am reading my way to a Ph.D level in philosophy, theology, minus the cost. College, in North American, is a business. It is, along with marriage, the most over rated commodity on the North American market. College...what a waste.
February 18, 2020
Aaron Clarey breaks down all of the bullcrap that our education system has to offer. He gets right to the stuff that pays, and the stuff that is crap. If I would have read him as an 18 year old I would be killing it in life right now. He is a great author and is very smart.
September 5, 2017
Another prophet on scholarship. He does not need scholarship, yet he has it. Magic.
June 3, 2019
Good advice, snappy presentation, not for the thin-skinned
Sit down with Uncle Snark and Aunt Witty, and get the straight dope. Listen to a personable comedian... the tone just flies right by, doesn't it. But what are the odds that the raconteur will get under your skin at least once? Excellent. If you are a Gen-X-er, in a government /teaching job, or took a "worthless" degree, odds are good the author will get up your nose. If you want a readable book that a teen-ager can get through, try to get over yourself, because this is it.
So that's the "ugly". The bad is that the author concludes that the debt, if you've chosen the right path (like the guy I knew getting his engineering degree on top of his law degree who had multiple 3 figure jobs already waiting for him). Not all debt is created equal. It's unpardonable that a book like this doesn't include the predatory nature of Federal student loans. These cannot be discharged by bankruptcy, so if anything goes wrong with your plan, you're a debt-slave to the Feds for life. It's also a "guy" book since all young women have baked in what the hypothetical model village in Worthless wants: the ability to create the next generation of villagers. Female readers need to add in to the book's advice: How will these choices affect my options to reproduce? If there's a good chance you want to have kids, your "plan" needs to include "majors" hat let you take advantage of the limited fertility window, ability to attract a solvent mate, or (if you are amoral) fund raising said offspring on your own.
Now the good: Clear cut cost benefit analysis, including intangibles such as ethics and quality of life. There's concrete examples: Why a general biology major is worthless unless you straight up know you're committed to the debt and years of your time to use it as a launch pad to another degree. There's the big picture advice that builds up from the concrete examples and is summarized at the end: Understand what choosing your major (your career choice) commits you to. There's some good principles on how to spot predatory adults and educational establishments. The author covers good basic economic and social knowledge. I appreciated the "Maybe the first thing to figure out about choosing a "major" is choosing a non-4-year college path.
Recommended to share with your high school students, especially those for whom Thomas Sowell is too dry.
Sit down with Uncle Snark and Aunt Witty, and get the straight dope. Listen to a personable comedian... the tone just flies right by, doesn't it. But what are the odds that the raconteur will get under your skin at least once? Excellent. If you are a Gen-X-er, in a government /teaching job, or took a "worthless" degree, odds are good the author will get up your nose. If you want a readable book that a teen-ager can get through, try to get over yourself, because this is it.
So that's the "ugly". The bad is that the author concludes that the debt, if you've chosen the right path (like the guy I knew getting his engineering degree on top of his law degree who had multiple 3 figure jobs already waiting for him). Not all debt is created equal. It's unpardonable that a book like this doesn't include the predatory nature of Federal student loans. These cannot be discharged by bankruptcy, so if anything goes wrong with your plan, you're a debt-slave to the Feds for life. It's also a "guy" book since all young women have baked in what the hypothetical model village in Worthless wants: the ability to create the next generation of villagers. Female readers need to add in to the book's advice: How will these choices affect my options to reproduce? If there's a good chance you want to have kids, your "plan" needs to include "majors" hat let you take advantage of the limited fertility window, ability to attract a solvent mate, or (if you are amoral) fund raising said offspring on your own.
Now the good: Clear cut cost benefit analysis, including intangibles such as ethics and quality of life. There's concrete examples: Why a general biology major is worthless unless you straight up know you're committed to the debt and years of your time to use it as a launch pad to another degree. There's the big picture advice that builds up from the concrete examples and is summarized at the end: Understand what choosing your major (your career choice) commits you to. There's some good principles on how to spot predatory adults and educational establishments. The author covers good basic economic and social knowledge. I appreciated the "Maybe the first thing to figure out about choosing a "major" is choosing a non-4-year college path.
Recommended to share with your high school students, especially those for whom Thomas Sowell is too dry.
January 7, 2021
I read this book to get a different perspective on degrees and higher education. Throughout high school I was not told how degrees and INVESTMENTS work. College is an investment and if you want to major in English or Biology or Education or Insert Major Here, you need to be aware of the consequences. Even though I majored in Legal (Paralegal) Studies, which of course is not in high demand and the pay is not great, I am fully aware of the demand and salary. No counselor is going to tell you (in my experience) “Business Administration isn’t competitive and is too generic to land a high paying job.” or “Education and teaching jobs may be in high demand in certain areas however, you need to consider the salary.”
I know people who majored in STEM who did nothing with it and I know people who majored in a liberal arts or “soft” degree who are working in that field. Whatever you choose to do, it’s important to think- what is the demand? What is the pay? Is it worth it? Aaron “Cappy” writes very to the point and this book has no fluff/useless information.
I know people who majored in STEM who did nothing with it and I know people who majored in a liberal arts or “soft” degree who are working in that field. Whatever you choose to do, it’s important to think- what is the demand? What is the pay? Is it worth it? Aaron “Cappy” writes very to the point and this book has no fluff/useless information.
November 13, 2021
Well worth a read, even for those who have graduated from college or quit. The author, Clarey, has a complete worldview: this book is not a diatribe against college, but a series of pieces of advice for people in college or choosing a college and choosing a major. His purpose is to help young people avoid making choices that, while endorsed by the rest of society, will land them in the soup a few years or decades down the line - oodles of debt, no job or poor employment prospects, unable to make ends meet unless they have 2 or more jobs, single and lonely (because of afore-mentioned disadvantages) and above all a victim mentality and a tendency to want others to pay for one's mistakes.
Tough love: the author sits you down, as it were, and gives you the tough talk you never got but should have gotten from your parents, guidance counsellor, etc.
Tough love: the author sits you down, as it were, and gives you the tough talk you never got but should have gotten from your parents, guidance counsellor, etc.
December 5, 2025
This book is a must read for anyone who is considering attending college, especially for those who are in still in high school. This book can prevent you from ruining your life by saving you from wasting your money and time attaining worthless majors. Aaron Clarey points out that the only purpose of attending college should be to learn a skill and/or trade that is in demand within the labor market. Unfortunately, colleges capitalize on the naivety of the younger generation particularly by creating worthless majors to study as they benefit monetarily and provide nothing of value in return. A lot of college majors may sound interesting, but very few teach employable skills: There is no reason to spend $50,000 on a philosophy degree when you could've just went to the local library for free!
April 23, 2018
Some editing issues, but solid advice
If there are any real criticisms of this book it's these:
Somethings got passed the editor and so some formatting and typo issues are glaring.
The book is fairly timely, so it's advice won't all be applicable in a decade. Though this is both a plus and a minus.
The shifts from serious to sarcastic tones aren't clear until after reading the sporadic facetious sentence. This makes jokes (which I'm sure would work in the audio book version) fall flat in print.
Really though, it's an easy read with good advice and recommended for the junior or senior in high school (which is the intended audience).
If there are any real criticisms of this book it's these:
Somethings got passed the editor and so some formatting and typo issues are glaring.
The book is fairly timely, so it's advice won't all be applicable in a decade. Though this is both a plus and a minus.
The shifts from serious to sarcastic tones aren't clear until after reading the sporadic facetious sentence. This makes jokes (which I'm sure would work in the audio book version) fall flat in print.
Really though, it's an easy read with good advice and recommended for the junior or senior in high school (which is the intended audience).
April 24, 2020
This is a must read for Kids in high school or kids just starting out in their college careers. Aaron Clarey is blunt and straight to the point about what majors are worthless that no one likes to talk about and what majors are worth going in debt for. The only thing I don’t agree with Aaron is how he recommends going to the military for benefits. Now if you live in poverty, I would consider it. But for the most part, I think kids should go to college and get a part time job to pay for their schooling and learn a bit about the real world. Because of this book, instead of majoring in general business, i’m now looking forward to majoring in accounting since it’ll be way more useful and land me a job a few months after i’m done with university by just taking the CPA Exam.
November 17, 2021
Must have
Highly recommend!
I'm 24 years old. immigrated to Canada 4 years ago from a third world country in Europe. I was thinking that I am to old to obtain a degree (currently in construction). Didn't really know which one to choose among such diversity of choices. This book shows how this multi-billion business works, and what pitfalls to avoid. I have decided to procude the IT industry. Good luck to me and thanks Aaron!
Highly recommend!
I'm 24 years old. immigrated to Canada 4 years ago from a third world country in Europe. I was thinking that I am to old to obtain a degree (currently in construction). Didn't really know which one to choose among such diversity of choices. This book shows how this multi-billion business works, and what pitfalls to avoid. I have decided to procude the IT industry. Good luck to me and thanks Aaron!
June 4, 2022
A well explained essay
This book is a must read for any man from 18 to 50. With the everlooming student loan debt rampant in America to include the the gamut of degree programs that fail to deliv, this book exposes said worthless degrees and points the reader in the right direction.
This book will help the reader make an informed decision, one that will greatly benefit them in the future.
This book is a must read for any man from 18 to 50. With the everlooming student loan debt rampant in America to include the the gamut of degree programs that fail to deliv, this book exposes said worthless degrees and points the reader in the right direction.
This book will help the reader make an informed decision, one that will greatly benefit them in the future.
June 6, 2022
a must read for anyone who does not want to be miserable.
Aarons no bs approach to life skills is not just a breath of fresh air it’s well needed.
Take it from someone who got a worthless degree at a prestigious school for said degree, much better to go with what makes money so that later in life you can do what you love when you are financially free.
Also chase girls or boys but by God don’t have children until after you have finances in order.
Aarons no bs approach to life skills is not just a breath of fresh air it’s well needed.
Take it from someone who got a worthless degree at a prestigious school for said degree, much better to go with what makes money so that later in life you can do what you love when you are financially free.
Also chase girls or boys but by God don’t have children until after you have finances in order.
June 30, 2019
Excellent book- should be a requirement for all high school graduates about to enter college to read this. It highlights the lies that are being told to students from guidance counselors and teachers about "any degree is a good degree" and shows the truth about college majors. Very easy and entertaining to read as well.
November 20, 2019
Great book and right on point about the types of WORTHLESS DEGREES and how competitive the market is with the level of degrees you have. A must read for all high school students and adults that are in College
September 16, 2020
Colleges and universities are businesses designed to take money from students. It's a readable book but not a great read. Worth checking out in the library.
February 3, 2021
The book can be perfectly summarised in one word which happens to be the title of this book; 'Worthless."
June 9, 2021
Always nice to update your career chessboard and rulebook (still very relevant as of 2021). Ohh and a must-read for everyone considering higher education.
April 29, 2022
You look like a filmsy bowl of shrimp ramen.
January 17, 2023
This book is actually an OpEd piece in disguise, but so poor in entertainment quality that it wouldn’t actually be published. I honestly regret even buying this audiobook.
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