With American education facing an ever-widening gap between academic research and entrepreneurial self-help-let alone indifference-Jeffry Smith provides a practical way to bridge the gap in The Lost Tools of Learning. Coaching for standardized testing, especially the SAT, has given rise to a new "industry" in American education for entrance into college. The Lost Tools of Learning describes an "old-new" alternative that can provide a better way. Dr. Smith demonstrates that the learning of so-called "dead" languages, especially Latin, teaches kids a disciplined way to learn which carries over into other subjects, as well as improves test performance. This well-documented book reminds both parents and educators that the retrieval of wisdom from past educational practices offers one way to negotiate the challenges of the wisdom of future.