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Luke is now in the sixth grade and, like most eleven-year-olds, lives in the virtual as much as the real world. Unlike in previous generations, his networks extend beyond family, school and neighborhood to other countries throughout the world. His parents worry that he spends too much time online, but Luke says that he learns more about China, Ghana, Poland, Argentina and Iceland from e-mail and the Internet than he does from his teachers in school. He constantly pesters his parents to let him join social networks like Facebook, MySpace and Ning, which is for the moment the newest new thing in social networking. His parents resist, saying he is too young, but it’s not clear how long they will stand up to the pressure.

Looking ahead three years, we find Luke and his family living in a small Midwestern town still paying for the 2008 financial meltdown with higher property taxes and lower school budgets. When he begins high school, Luke discovers that advanced placement courses have been eliminated. College-bound students and their parents raise an uproar, and the school board responds by cutting a deal with a for-profit company that provides high-quality online courses in the humanities and sciences for a bulk rate of only $100 a course. This arrangement is more attractive than traditional classes because most colleges and universities across the country give credit for courses taken from this company.

Having tracked developments in the Middle East on the Internet since he was ten, Luke decides to take an online course on Islamic religion. Coming from the Midwest and never having been outside the United States, he knows nothing about Islam but realizes it is important for his future. Luke is immediately captivated and finds the teacher one of the best he has ever had. As his interest grows, he spends more time online learning as much as he can about Islamic culture. His journey starts in the Middle East and takes him to Central Asia, the Balkans, Indonesia, Africa and even cities in his own country that have significant Muslim populations. At every stop along the way, Luke meets new people and makes new friends, his social network growing faster than ever. He is surprised not only by their differences but also by how much they share. His new friends like many of the same films and much of the same music, and have many of the same fears and hopes that he does.

When it comes time for the traditional family college tour the summer after his junior year, Luke demurs. Having graduated from top colleges, his parents are disconcerted and insist that in today’s highly competitive world, education is more important than ever. Luke says he knows the value of education but is not convinced that a traditional four-year college is best for him. He tells his parents that he wants to start his education at New York University Abu Dhabi and end it online. Luke explains that, while surfing the Web for his Islamic religion class, he stumbled on the NYU Abu Dhabi website and knew immediately that this was the school for him. It is now fully operational and has been accepting students for five years. What makes NYU Abu Dhabi even more appealing is that it is located on Saadiyat Island right next to Frank Gehry’s spectacular new Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. NYU and the Guggenheim have a cooperative arrangement that enables museum employees to take courses at NYU and students to participate in an extensive internship program at the museum, which introduces them to every department. Interns not only work with artists, architects, curators and designers but also with people in administration, development, education and public relations. Luke is particularly interested in the Guggenheim’s collaboration with Apple, Sony and Google in the new art and technology program. One of the strengths of NYU Abu Dhabi is its interdisciplinary program in new media. By selecting courses that will help with his work at the Guggenheim, Luke hopes to avoid the problem of paying $329,000 (which will be the cost of college