Author: Charles D. Hayes 
Publisher: Wasilla, AK: Autodidactic Press
ISBN-13: 978-0-9621979-7-0
ISBN-10: 0-9621979-7-1

Click Here To Purchase September University: Summoning Passion for an Unfinished Life

To sum up your entire approach in an equation takes guts, and that is exactly what Charles D. Hayes has plenty of. September University is an aspirational work, based on the author’s assumption that “age + curiosity × attitude = a greater quality of life and hope for humanity.” 

Whether you agree with Hayes’ Democratic standpoint or not, September University is bound to arouse the desire of any reader who is thoughtful about their future, and about that of the world around them, to embark on a lively discussion of pertinent topics. His work is wide-ranging in scope, encompassing the fields of culture, economics, education, politics and philosophy. No matter what the issue, he probes it in provocative depth, supporting his arguments by drawing on acknowledged experts in the field. His arguments are based on a pragmatic understanding of the world in which he lives, rather than a manifestation of indulgence in rhetoric for its own sake.  

Hayes disputes the value of securing a higher education, when all that emerges from the over-priced traditional system is credentialed individuals who are immediately submerged in a consumer-driven society. In contrast, he urges his readers to consider and be aware of their environs, as well as the hype to which they are made subject on a daily basis. He argues in favor of an existential education, expressing his hope that “this book provides a good start not only in helping you make insightful progress in existential matters, but also in helping you embody the kind of living example that inspires others to do so as well”.

Despite the work being largely geared towards a consideration of the developed world, Hayes’ consideration of such issues as democracy and culture has a great deal of relevance to those in the developing world as well. Though he inveighs against terrorists, such as those responsible for the 9/11 disaster, he lays the blame for not being alert to the warning signs of such an onslaught on the neglect of issues of national interest in favor of over-commercialization in the media. His assertiveness of approach propels the reader into taking a stance in relation to his clearly stated arguments. In labeling terrorists as criminals, for example, he exposes himself fearlessly to criticism – in fact, it is Hayes’ very fearlessness that sets him free to pinpoint the major failings of contemporary society.

September University is logically arranged, and effectively signposted with incisive headings, clearly indicating the major topics discussed throughout the work. The extensive sixteen-page long bibliography directs the reader towards other leading works in the field of personal and public awareness. The reader should also be aware that September University is the latest in a phalanx of other worthwhile and thought-provoking texts that Hayes has produced in the past, includingThe Rapture of Maturity: A Legacy of Lifelong Learning and Beyond the American Dream: Lifelong Learning and the Search for Meaning in a Postmodern World. The twelve-page index toSeptember University is both comprehensive and insightful, as well as appropriately cross-referenced.    

Though his work is geared towards the older generation, all who are involved with 50+ baby boomers stand to benefit from the perspective that is granted by such a mature outlook on life. Hayes argues in favor of courtesy and mutual respect between all those in a society, no matter their background. If you come away from your reading of this insightful text without an enhanced respect for the older generation, you have only yourself to blame.