In this short and powerful book, eminent philosopher Martha Nussbaum makes the case for the importance of the humanities and arts at all levels of education and debunks the idea that education is primarily a tool for economic growth. M. Nussbaum argues that economic growth does not always lead to an improvement in the quality of life, and neglect of the arts and humanities inevitably reduces the quality of life of citizens and threatens the prosperity of democratic states. The book contains a "call to action", a plan that suggests that a model of education that undermines the foundations of democracy will be replaced by one that promotes it.