Sherman is the great-grandson of Frank A. Sherman, cofounder of Dofasco, a large steel company in Hamilton, Ontario. Sherman grew up in Muskoka, where he was homeschooled until the age of thirteen. His father, Jamie, is an artist, glassblower, and musician.
Zander’s debut work,: Education and the Dark Side of Enlightenment is dedicated to his mother, who was his teacher. Sherman’s first book was published in 2012 by Penguin Random House. is a social history that covers the development of the current educational system in the West. The book debuted on the national bestseller list, where it generated wide-ranging response from critics.
Educator Paul West. Bennett described the book as “the most stimulating Canadian contribution to the Great Education Debate in decades.”
Since the publication of his debut, Sherman has contributed to The Globe & Mail, and written for a number of magazines including The Walrus and The Believer.
He is currently working on his second book, a memoir.
