Career Advice from Carlyle Group's David Rubenstein

"Richard Neustadt wrote a famous book called The Power of the Presidency, and he said the power of the presidency is the power to persuade. That's true of all business activities. You're really persuading people through writing or oral communications. So learning how to persuade people, how to communicate, is very important."

Student Reading Skills Remain Poor

According to the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress report, reading skills among school children have shown little improvement over the past 17 years.

Specifically, fourth grade students scored 221 out of 500 in 2009, vs. 217 in 1992. Eighth graders scored 264 in 2009, vs. 260 in 1992. In both cases, the improvement amounted to less than one percent.

Reading is a critical skill in today's information-driven world. And, it is a prerequisite for good writing.