The Coddling of the American Mind
The Coddling of the American Mind by Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoffby Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff
Shares rank 91 of 152 nonfiction books by recommenders
Recommended as an excellent account of the changing students in higher education. One critic says it presents overly simplified narratives.
Recommended as an excellent account of the changing students in higher education. One critic says it presents overly simplified narratives.
4 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 3
- criticize it
- 1
- approval share
- 75%
Recommended in 3 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 3 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 3 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 3 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Describes changes facing higher education students
“That is an excellent book that describes the changes higher education is facing in its students”
Comment from 11 Aug 2026 in “University of Michigan Drops First-Semester Grades To'Curb Mental Health Crisis'”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Presents overly simplified narratives
“I just don't think he should try to present such simplified narratives”
Comment from 15 Mar 2026 in “Ageless Linux. We are legally required to ask how old you are. We won't”
Other nonfiction books people recommend
The four most recommended other nonfiction books, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Cuckoo's Eggby Cliff Stoll | 40 | 0 | 100% | 8 | — | Approved |
| Amusing Ourselves to Deathby Neil Postman | 36 | 0 | 100% | 9 | 1 yr3 owners | Approved |
| The Anxious Generationby Jonathan Haidt | 24 | 12 | 67% | 10 | — | Approved |
| Bullshit Jobsby David Graeber | 20 | 12 | 63% | 8 | — | — |
| The Coddling of the American Mindby Jonathan Haidt and Greg LukianoffThis page | 3 | 1 | 75% | 3 | — | — |
What people said
All 4 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“Lukianoff wrote The Coddling of the American Mind, in which he complains about student speech.”
“That is an excellent book that describes the changes higher education is facing in its students”
“I just don't think he should try to present such simplified narratives”
“These are pretty similar to Soviet style, but perhaps a bit less structured.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.