It's the theory of Pulitzer Prize—winning Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Golden that our top colleges, by their highly preferential admissions policies, help perpetuate an American ruling class from among the wealthy and privileged, and a book he has just written on the subject attracted seven publishers to a recent auction. It was Rachel Klayman at Crown who won North American rights to The Price of Admission, which is a considerable expansion of Golden's award-winning WSJ articles on the subject. According to Golden, the "Legacy Establishment" benefits those whose families have bestowed large legacies on colleges (something both the current presidential candidates benefited from). It is, he says, a form of affirmative action for the rich and well-connected. Klayman bought North American rights from agent Lynn Johnston.
Creation of a Ruling Class
Jul 09, 2004
A version of this article appeared in the 07/12/2004 issue of Publishers Weekly under the headline: