Imagine If...: Creating a Future for Us All

I would give the first half of this book 5 stars, and the second half 1 star. It may be that the first half is mostly Sir Ken's thoughts, and the second mostly Kate's.In the first half, Sir Ken demonstrates his deep and wide knowledge of the education system. He shows an ability to focus on individual areas and also appreciate the broader concepts and repercussions of policies.His thoughts are obviously the result of long, deep study and a lifetime of experience. His words are therefore insightful, and inspiring.Unfortunately, that deep thoughtfulness is abandoned in the second half (again, this may be Kate's contribution), and a new direction is taken. A direction of ideological capture, unquestioning of current cultural (dare I say - religious) narratives.No over-arching view is taken of Climate Change, Extinction Rebellion, School Strike For Climate, BLM etc. They are all taken as read, with no criticism or even examination.Sir Ken had such knowledge and wisdom around education, set out beautifully in the first half. In the second half of the book, the areas covered show no such attention to deep consideration, merely ideological acceptance.It was a disappointment how the book went off the rails, but I've seen this so many times lately - otherwise highly intelligent, educated and well-meaning people becoming infected with bad ideas. It's a mystery to me why it happens.

What a fantastic read, I work in the further education sector and everything in this links back as well as schools. It took less than 2 hours to read as I was so enthralled. Sad that there won't be more to come from Ken but what a fantastic legacy in his books.

A gem of a book. Well structured and easy to dive in and out of. Congratulations and thank you to Kate Robinson for polishing and publishing it on behalf of her late father, whose wisdom we all treasure.

This is a short, simple read that gives us hope for a new future that is in our grasp if we are willing to do things differently.

This book is a gem! Sir Ken Robinson has been one of the most widely recognized and admired advocates and leaders for education transformation for many years. His TED Talk is one of the most watched ever. This very short book is essentially a summary of everything he learned throughout his long career -- a kind of manifesto by Robinson on education. He was working on this when he became ill, so his daughter Kate helped him to complete it and then get it into publication.Each chapter begins with a simple statement that reflects the message of that chapter, along with a complementary illustration. While short, the book covers the full spectrum of considerations: from what makes us unique as humans to how we shape the world to the importance of education for a healthy society to how the current education system is failing us to what we need to do about that. It is a quick read but one that can be pondered indefinitely. Don't expect a detailed recipe for change -- there is none. Nevertheless, the overall perspective and compelling case for a new education comes through clearly and precisely. It should provoke anyone interested in education to shift their thinking in the right direction. It should also make a great basis of conversation for a community group that is ready to make a difference. Highly recommended!