My old pal was a hit on the recent NR cruise, where I promised him we’d celebrate when his new tome when it hit bookstores, which it does today, “it” being Class Dismissed: Why College Isn’t the Answer, published by Simon and Schuster.

Nick Adams, founder of Foundation for Liberty and American Greatness, is as happy a warrior as you will ever meet. And no, he’s not out to put a sad face on our professor friends with his book’s title and theme. He is out to deal with the realities of modern higher education — which in many cases masquerades as a job-licensing program that is expensive and a source of incredible indebtedness, and leaves many a College Joe (dropouts and graduates) decidedly unfulfilled, at least as regards the promise.

There are true and viable alternatives, particularly for those who might be handier with a blowtorch than with The Complete Works of Shakespeare. And that is the book’s point. Looking at college dropout rates, tuition costs, student-loan debt, and the aching need in our economy for trade careers — which offer a life that’s both economically sustainable and soul-pleasing — Nick sees what many other see: that for millions of young Americans, college is not the answer. What about the teenager for whom sitting in a classroom is unfulfilling and frustrating, or the kid with a skill set that can’t be nurtured on campus?

Nick is a passionate guy, an American accidentally born in Australia who sees the US of A as that last great and only hope. The mix of these issues — plentiful and critical trade jobs seeking talent, college degrees that are often empty promises — is to him one of crikey national importance. And he’s right.

Since the college decision-making process is as much about Mom and Dad as it is about kiddo, he’s structured Class Dismissed: Why College Isn’t the Answer as a resource to consider next steps. Toward what? Maybe to college. But maybe to a great trade and a fulfilling and contented life — employed, fat, happy, and with no debt (and all the better if you like dogs and the Yankees).

Learn more about the book here. Order it here at Amazon. Bona fortuna, mate.