Beeline

In this insightful audiobook, anthropologist Shalini Shankar explores Generation Z through the unique lens of spelling bees, revealing how these seemingly anxious overachievers are, in fact, cultivating essential twenty-first-century skills. Using original ethnographic research, including interviews with competitors, judges, and parents, Shankar highlights the significant influence of immigrant backgrounds and showcases the sophisticated abilities of Gen Z in self-promotion, self-direction, and social mobility, ultimately arguing that they are well-equipped for success.