Four homeschool graduates launch Over The Horizon Press to promote critical thinking

Four young homeschool graduates from Northwest Florida have launched Over The Horizon Press and released a first book aimed at improving reasoning skills for readers of all ages. The company is betting that practical critical thinking tools will matter more as people face more information, more AI-generated content, and more complex life decisions.

Why it matters: - The launch targets a real-world gap: practical critical thinking skills are increasingly important for students, workers, retirees, and anyone making decisions in a digital environment. - The founders are positioning critical thinking as a lifelong skill, not just a classroom subject. - Employers continue to rank analytical thinking among the most important workplace skills, making the topic relevant to education and workforce readiness.

What happened: - Four homeschool graduates from Northwest Florida launched Over The Horizon Press, an independent educational publishing company. - The founders are Ethan Barfield, Trevor Barfield, Noah Barfield, and Julian Vega. - The founders range in age from 18 to 28. - The company released its first publication, Critical Thinking Made Easy: A Step-By-Step Guide to Sharpen Your Logical and Strategic Intelligence Without Classes, Courses, or Dramatically Changing Your Schedule. - The book reached the No. 1 best seller position in its Amazon category shortly after release.

The details: - The founders say their homeschooling background encouraged independent research, thoughtful discussion, and evaluating ideas from multiple perspectives. - Over The Horizon Press says its mission is to make critical thinking more accessible to everyday readers. - The book offers a structured framework for recognizing cognitive biases, evaluating claims, distinguishing fact from opinion, identifying logical fallacies, and applying critical thinking to everyday situations. - The book is designed to work without formal coursework or major time commitments. - The founders say the need extends beyond younger readers. - Adolescents are making more complex educational, financial, and career decisions while facing digital information, artificial intelligence generated content, and social media influence. - Older adults and retirees often face healthcare, financial, technological, and public policy decisions that require careful evaluation of information from multiple sources. - The founders say the book may be useful for homeschool families, public schools, private schools, libraries, adult education programs, workforce development initiatives, and lifelong learning organizations. - They also see potential use for organizations serving older adults, including local Councils on Aging, AARP chapters, community education programs, and senior learning organizations. - Learn more at the company's website.

Between the lines: - The timing aligns with rising concern about information overload, AI-generated content, and the need for people to judge sources more carefully. - The founders are framing the book as a practical tool, not a political or ideological statement. - Their pitch is broad on purpose, spanning schools, workplaces, and senior learning groups. - The early Amazon ranking gives the launch initial momentum, though long-term impact will depend on adoption beyond early readers.

What's next: - Over The Horizon Press plans to develop additional books and educational resources. - The founders say the broader mission is to encourage intellectual curiosity, independent reasoning, and practical decision making. - The company is likely to expand its audience if schools, libraries, adult education programs, or community organizations adopt its materials.

The bottom line: - Four young founders are trying to turn critical thinking into a mainstream, age-spanning educational product, with a first book and a publishing company built around that idea.