Frank Furedi is Professor of Sociology at the University of Kent, UK. He is the author of fourteen books including Why Education isn't Educating (2010), The Politics of Fear (2007), Where have all the Intellectuals Gone? (2005), Therapy Culture (2003) and Paranoid Parenting (2001). Furedi's books offer an authoritative yet lively account of key developments in contemporary cultural life, with a particular interest in precautionary culture and risk aversion in the West. He is the UK sociologist most widely cited by the UK media and his books have been translated into eleven languages. He appears frequently on television and radio in the English speaking world and beyond and he publishes regular articles with a range of newspapers.

Title mention in extract from a speech given by Frank Furedi at the Cheltenham Festival of Music ~ Music Teacher, 01/11/2006

• Introduction: The land of the philistines revisited Chapter 1: Devaluing the Intellect Chapter 2: Trivial Pursuits Chapter 3: Dumbing Down Chapter 4: Social Engineering Chapter 5: The Culture of Flattery Chapter 6: Treating People as Children Epilogue: A reply to the critics