What is the theme in Education of a Wandering Man by Louis L'Amour?

The importance of being educated is a major theme in the book. L'Amour had a great interest in current events and was a patriot with an emotional connection to his country. He felt that the best way for America to survive as a strong nation was to ensure that its youth receive the best education possible. He made the observation that if our country produces generations of fourth-rate citizens due to lack of a robust education system, our nation will suffer and we can only have ourselves to blame because we allowed it.