Higher education occupies a difficult place in twentyfirstcentury American culture. Universitiesthe institutions that bear so much responsibility for the future health of our nationare at odds with the very publics they are intended to serve. As Kathleen Fitzpatrick asserts it is imperative that we recenter the mission of the university to rebuild that lost trust. Critical thinkingthe heart of what academics docan today often negate refuse and reject new ideas. In an age characterized by rampant antiintellectualism Fitzpatrick charges the academy with thinking constructively rather than competitively building new ideas rather than tearing old ones down. She urges us to rethink how we teach the humanities and to refocus our attention on the very human endsthe desire for community and connectionthat the humanities can best serve. One key aspect of that transformation involves fostering an atmosphere of what Fitzpatrick dubs generous thinking a mode of engagement that emphasizes listening over speaking community over individualism and collaboration over competition.Fitzpatrick proposes ways that anyone who cares about the future of higher education can work to build better relationships between our colleges and universities and the public thereby transforming the way our society functions. She encourages interested stakeholders to listen to and engage openly with one anothers concerns by reading and exploring ideas together by creating collective projects focused around common interests and by ensuring that our institutions of higher education are structured to support and promote work toward the public good. Meditating on how and why we teach the humanities Generous Thinking is an audacious book that privileges the ability to empathize and build rather than simply tear apart.