> The books in the West in general kept getting less rigorous, with time. I wonder if it's because more people are going to college who would have otherwise go

> The books in the West in general kept getting less rigorous, with time. I wonder if it's because more people are going to college who would have otherwise gone to a vocational or trade school? If the audience expands to include people who might not have studied calculus had they not chosen to go to college, I feel like textbooks have to change to accommodate that.