Tara Westover: Mormons, Harry Potter and the future of education 

I don’t know who Anne is, but she conducted this interview much better than some others I have seen interview Tara. She asked respectful questions with a genuine interest in hearing the answers, she did not rush to sensationalize every little detail of Tara’s story, did not speak condescendingly, and did not try too hard to push her own narrative. This was an enjoyable discussion.

Tara is asked early in this interview about her motivation to attend school. My experience of this book was that a huge motivation was escape from the current life and the path she was being groomed for. It's not a bad motivation, and it's not the only one she had. While reading her book, I definitely wanted her to escape that scrapyard run by a father obsessed with shortcuts and not ashamed of providing God multiple opportunities to fix his mistakes without the aid of medical professionals, before she lost body parts. And I was scared that if the Dad's recklessness didn't cripple her, her need for camaraderie and love from the abusive brother could. And then, I suspect the surprising and unwelcome effect her becoming a woman was having on him, not to mention, later, her expanding awareness through education adding to the threat to his own self image, the more dangerous he became. I'm surprised at how proud I can be of a stranger--but I so admire the courage she exhibited in going to college and accepting the opportunities offered despite her fears of not deserving them. But, I'm sad for her too, because while there's little physical evidence of the abuse (although I bet that spike left a scar to remember it by), I worry about how difficult the emotional and Spiritual abuse was (and is) to overcome.

Best interview of Tara I have ever watched. It made me thoughtful about our own family approach to education. Education is not only text books and acing tests, it’s way beyond that. Thanks to the interviewer for the straight to the point questions. Great job! I really enjoyed Tara’s book. It made a real impression on me.

What I find captivating about most interviews with Westover is the avid desire hosts have to caress her story into that of someone saved from "dark conservativism" by "enlightened progressivism." Yet, she never once trips on that wire. And the brakes she slams on those attempts makes those interviewing her seem significantly more ignorant than they would prefer to appear. It's wise on Westover's part and very well executed.

This video makes me want to quit studying code and solving technical problems and instead go back to school to study high level interdisciplinary subjects that teach you to think through broadly and not hyper specialize and pigeon hole into a vocation.

This is how 'educated' people sound when they have a discussion.

Montessori method is referred to as work and most kids love it! All my kids did and now my grandkids. Worth looking into Maria Montessori's method.

I must disagree with all the complaints about the interviewer. I think she did, overall, a good job.

I love the softness of the interviewer, gives more room to focus on the questions and leaves time for the author to answer.

Poverty and impoverishment are not the same. Tara, I look forward to reading your book.

Wow she must have a super high IQ to able to teacher herself so much.

Beautifully said. I loved this interview.

The host desperately needs to move closer to the mic. I cannot understand her when she lowers her voice to ask questions. The video itself is very interesting.

Tara was NOT raised a Mormon. Virtually nothing that was taught in the Westover home agrees with Church doctrine. If the Church taught what her Dad spewed, I would leave the Church too. But it does not, not in the least. She loves her "mountain" like a holocaust survivor looks back at the barracks once lived in, grateful to have survived, and grateful for the few fleeting moments of happiness found there from time to time.

Where does she talk about harry potter? I missed it.

contradistinction - great word

Choices do exist among core standards. It's called differentiation.

Great content and discussion.

What a lovely voice!

I was raised mormon and I dont like it. I dont like the promotion of censorship, groupthink, or isolationism. When I left I had a little bit of cult like reaction from my neighborhood. Free thought is shunned in much of Salt Lake City.

Just so we're clear here its more about a radical father than a religious belief here. Limiting world contact and offspring's world experiences is against current Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint's goals.

Reminds me of that book from Summerhill...

Contemplating Tara Westover's experience in context of l'Aventure Ambigüe by Cheikh Hamidou Kane and the exercise of critically reconciling secular and religious education and values.

She’s so right! There’s a distinction between school & education. I don’t want my children institutionalized but educated so I quit teaching in the schools to homeschool my own.

A quintessential example of Gaslighting.

Could someone please explain some reasons behind the many downvotes?

She's 8 btw

To bad the interviewer is more interested in grinding through her list of questions and not really listening to Tara’s responses and letting the interview flow accordingly, a potentially interesting interview

he wasnt wrong about education being infiltrated. just ask jordan peterson

I pooped today

Now we are in the end of the world I guess her parents was right after all haha

Fake af lds not Mormon

It’s ladder day saints, get it right

I thought I liked this channel. Come to find out it's just more propaganda. Done.

Well it looks like those parents gave their children the taste for thinking by themselves and not just absorb any bs served as the Truth.

Boooooo!!!!!!

How does a radio host not know how to work a microphone? Weird. Put your mouth a little closer to the "mouth sound catcher," my dear...

Your father saved you from illuminati, how ungreatful you are!

You don't need school, Education at home with Technology is so much better!!!!!! ..

This is so boring ! I’m LDS and home schooled my son. He’s happy and employed ! No sweat

I very much enjoyed Tara's book, but I see no hope for a sequel. I doubt that her writing skill will transfer to other genres. She's now stuck with becoming a university history professor.

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Anne McElvoy, appropriately, has a face for radio. I still enjoy her voice but her visage wasn't what I expected from listening to the podcasts. I'm saddened that she grabbed onto this anti-patriarchy/ anti-religion narrative, while Tara (who's rather fetching) was really talking about making education a pleasant experience and letting kids find passion in school. I'm not a fan of FLDS like I'm not a fan of the Taliban, but I encourage people to choose how they want to live and raise their kids even if their Millenarian beliefs make no practical sense. America, unlike Britain, is a free country. We have to allow parents to not teach their kids or we're really just a totalitarian state.

Well his father is right about the illuminati tho

I'm so laughing when she says that her brothers fought their way out of the ignorance that they were raised with and I'm thinking you've got to be kidding me do you have any kids with really actually like to live and not have to go to school and I hear no gratitude for what her parents did for her at least I didn't physically beat her all the time or chain her up and put her in a closet she can't even keep her story straight about what went on cuz in one interview it's a different than another interview so take her story with a grain of salt please

To bad the interviewer is more interested in grinding through her list of questions and not really listening to Tara’s responses and letting the interview flow accordingly, a potentially interesting interview