Educational Books

This is exactly the bank I was looking for. There is a place to save for church, savings, and fun stuff. The bank is large enough to hold plenty of money and it is also easy to get the money out. We are very happy with the bank!

Awesome tool to teach your kids at a very young age (about age 3) how to begin dividing up their money. Works great for us!!

Just a basic bank, what came in the box is just like the picture and description - a bank with three slots in it. The stickers came on a sheet that you had to peel off and stick on the bank, and they were a little hard to get off, but then again, maybe I'm sticker-challenged!

Wonderful tool to help even small children understand saving, spending and tithing. We bought one for a 3 year old and a 5 year old. They both love the bank and understand how to use it.

I have heard wonderful things about this giving bank and finally decided to implement it with my 5 year old daughter and 2 year old son. Obviously the 2 year old is a little young for the concept, but I drew up a chore chart and at the end of the week they each get $3.00 and each dollar goes into the separate banks. I explained each bank and my 5 year old cannot wait to give her money to "those who don't have any". It's a great teaching tool!

This is a great book - I got it as a gift and thought it was on point, honest, and not preachy. I am off to college next year and this was one of the better, non cheesy gifts I got. I wanted to get one for a friend, but realized this is the older edition - there is a new one up on Amazon - just search for Navigating Your Freshman Year - and it ships quicker too.

I have had some disappointments in Freshman Handbooks while preparing for school next year in college, but this book was not one of them. I would recommend it and I am glad that I purchased it.

This book really puts your college freshman year in terms that you can handle, provides great advice from current students who've just gone through it, and now I really feel ready to go away next fall. I'm very glad my father picked this book up for me, and I would recommend it to all high school seniors going to college.

I am a guidance counselor and found out about this book last fall at a conference out here in California. I was immediately hooked by its great content, so I bought a bunch of copies for my graduating seniors and they absolutely love it!

Adapting to college life can be a daunting experience. As a current college sophomore, I was asked to advise my younger brother (now a senior in high school) on how to integrate into the university environment. After recounting all of my own experiences, I realized that I neglected many essential elements of freshman life. So, I turned to the available literature. With the exception of Allison Lombardo's, none of the books get the job done. Lombardo provides a comprehensive account of freshman life that will benefit anyone in high school who reads it. The book is a quick, fun, and easy read; I only wish that someone had given me such great tips before I got to college.

This book is a very good book for a third or fourth grader. It tells about all of the family and where they are and then it brings them together with various means. this is a great book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Watch out below!" Thats the sound of the little boy named Junor Blossom about to jump off the top of the barn. This little boy has a lot of problems with his family, he has a big sister named Maggie. Her problem in the family is she has to take care of the family and run things but, she can't go shopping.(her favorite thing to do is shopping) Junior also has a big brother named Vern, a grandpa named Pap, and a dog named Mud. They have a mother too but, she's out on a rodeo circuit. His granpa and his big brother are in jail for disturbing the peace and their dog Mud has ran away. See...this family has a lot of problems. There's just one question to ask you? Do you think that the Blossoms will solve their problems? Now if you read this book I don't know if you wil like it or not but, to tell you I sure did. This book was put on my favorite book list after I got done reading it. The book is realistic fiction so if you don't like realistic books I wouldn't read this book. The author is Besty Byars. She has wrote a lot of books most of them are mystery and romance but, hey she is a really good writer. So are you going to read this book?

When Pap Blossom goes into town that's when it all started. Breaking into jail, jumping off the roof, missing mom and lost dog are some of the interesting things that happen to the Blossom family. If I could I would give it a hundred stars. I think this book is a 4th, 5th, and 6th grade book. Now you know what it is about so go get the book NOW!!

Go into the world of funny things with Betsy Byars and The NotJust- Anybody Family. It's filled with trouble, mischief, and fun! The trouble begins when Pap goes into town. Somebody falls of the roof, someone goes to jail, someone breaks into jail, and people go to trial. Also, there is a runaway dog. All these funny and exciting things plus a teaspoon of sadness fit into this book. I hope I got your attention! P.S READ THIS BOOK!!!

The Not-Just-Anybody Family is a book my whole classroom enjoyed. It has action, humor, a missing dog, an out-of-town mom, and a grandpa in jail. The children in the book are very real and my students could relate to their feelings and difficulties. The settings change from chapter to chapter and Betsy Byars writes just enough about each situation to keep you wanting more. This book helped my students learn the meaning of "suspense" and almost all of them gave the book a rating of nine or ten on a one to ten scale. I plan on ordering the audio version for some of my students next year.

In my spare time, I am responsible for the ongoing success of the Madison, NJ LL Girls Softball program. Every spring, approximately 260 young ladies, from 7-16 years of age, play fastpitch softball. Thanks to the efforts of close to 100 volunteer coaches, our program gives the young ladies of our community the chance to learn to love a game they can play forever.

Following our spring program, 3 teams (14U, 12U, 10U) complete in summer tournaments and leagues. I've been coaching the 14U level for 15 years now. In the late spring, I received an email from Harley Rotbart telling me about his book. I read a few chapters online and thought this book might be a good learning tool for my summer softball team. I took a chance and ordered 16 copies.

You can imagine the look on my team's eyes when I handed out a book and reading assignment listing at our parents/players meeting. I created a reading list; with each player having 6 assigned chapters. I organized it so that before/after each game, everyone had to be ready to make a 1 minute presentation to the rest of the team. No one knew who I'd call on to present, so everyone had to do their reading. When I was asked "what happens if we aren't prepared when called on?", my answer was simple. "You'll enjoy that game from the bench. "

We made it through the entire book last summer. I asked my players if they'd be willing to write a book report I could post on Amazon. A few of them took me upon on the offer. Their comments on the book follow:

Did you enjoy reading this book this summer? Why?

I liked this book because it was a very clear and straight forward way to learn more about softball, or to teach those who did not know the difference from a softball and a football. Unlike a lot of books about sports that have a bunch of different sports smushed together, this one explains everything there is to know about softball in a chapter by chapter sequence, often comparing events in softball to real life events. Cara M. 2nd Base.

I enjoyed reading this book this summer because I enjoyed how the author related softball to real life. I really taught me a lot. Julianna V. Catcher.

Yes- It helped prepare me for each game and made me realize how every aspect of the game of softball is related to life. It really got me thinking. Mackenzie G. Pitcher, SS.

Was being prepared to talk about this book a good way to begin/end our games?

Being prepared to talk about this book before or after games was a good way to review how to act in real game situations. Cara M.

This book was a great way to open and close games. IT really got you to understand the topic thoroughly in order to present what you read to the team. Julianna V.

Yes, sometimes the chapters that were talked about were situations in the game we just played. Mackenzie G.

What one thing did you read that really surprised you?

One chapter that really surprised me was the one about "The perfect game". It talked about how a perfect game would be when the pitcher throws no bad pitches, only strikes. The thing that surprised me was that the book said how the catcher was just a part of the perfect pitches as the pitcher, due to all the signs she gives. Cara M.

One thing that surprised me was that everything talked about softball and it was all related to life. That surprised me that everything in the book had an impact on life. Julianna V.

The "from the dugout" section of each chapter really surprised me because I never really thought of how softball could relate to life. It made the game seem more than just a bunch of girls throwing balls around. Mackenzie G.

Would you recommend this book to other players/coaches?

I would recommend this book to players that want to improve their knowledge of the game, or anyone who just wants to know what is going on when they watch their daughter, friend, etc. Cara M.

Yes, I would recommend this book because not only does it teach you about softball, it teaches you about life. Julianna V.

Yes, it improves the player's game and is a good coaching tool. Mackenzie G.

Did you forgive your coach for giving you a summer reading assignment?

Even though I was very surprised coach gave us a summer reading assignment, it was really not a big deal, and I actually learned a lot. Cara M.

Yes, I do forgive my coach because I thought the summer reading I would be a drag, but I ended up learning a lot of life lessons from the book and really enjoyed it. Julianna V

Yes - it wasn't that bad. Mackenzie G.


I'll be buying 15 copies of this book every summer in the years ahead. I found this a great way to prepare the team for the game ahead or to finish up after the game was over. Sometimes its difficult for a coach to find the right things to say. Taking this approach put my players in charge of the pre/post game talks! It worked very well.

Dave Carver Madison NJ LL Softball

I discovered the perfect gift for a grandmother to give her baseball-playing grandkids. I don't know anything about bats or gloves, and I can't figure out any of the other paraphernalia my grandsons use when I watch their games. Until now, the best I could do was giving them a gift certificate to a sporting goods store. But, "The On Deck Circle of Life - 101 Lessons from the Dugout" is better than any gift certificate. If I made a list of everything I'd like my grandsons to grow up to become, the list would include most of the chapters of this book. I bought a copy of the book for myself, too - because the top half of every chapter is a little lesson in the game of baseball and helps me understand what the kids are doing out there. The bottom half of each chapter teaches kids how the game relates to the real world, so there's something in each chapter for grandparents, parents, and kids. I really like this part of Chapter 81, the "Home Field Advantage":

"As life challenges and confuses you, take comfort in, and take advantage of, your home field. Your parents and your brothers and sisters are your best friends, your most important teammates...No matter how bad the crisis, how afraid you feel, or how terrible you imagine the outcome, your family is your ultimate home field advantage. Find the comfort and stability of your familiar dugout and the friendly faces on the bleachers. You'll win many more games at home than on the road."

As parents, one of our goals is to teach our children how best to interact with their increasingly complex and sometimes unfriendly world. This book serves as a primer to both parent and child, using baseball rules as the platform. In its simplicity, it is an elegant guide to making our children better adults, and making us better parents. I loved Dr. Rotbart's book, and only hope to see more of his profound wisdom in future books. How I wish he could have been my parent! Thanks for educating me to the rules of baseball and life, all in one concise volume.

I actually bought 2 books. My son is 10 and he reads everying evening.
He reads out loud to me and I follow along in my book. We discuss every chapter (short). The book is well written. Any child that likes baseball will certainly enjoy all the baseball talk. And the way life's lessons are presented are so much better than I could try to explain to my son. He understands them. We are now referring back to the book in conversation. I can say remember what the book said about curve balls?
Sometimes life will throw you a curve ball. It is all in how you handle the situation. We have not finished the book yet, but when we do I will keep them handy and have my son refer back to certain chapters when life
can be sticky. I look forward every evening to sit down and read this book with him. I think it is awesome.

First off...I dearly love the game of baseball, have since I was 5 years old. Mr. Rotbart has shown me why the game has rooted itself to my inner core. These days, I've had to step back and look at the game from another view. I am a District Administrator for Little League Baseball in Arizona and oversee 18 leagues. After reading this book I purchased enough copies for the presidents of each league (plus some) in the hopes that these directors of our young athletes will do the same with their constituents. Nothing worthwhile in life is just handed to us, we must practice over and over so we are ready when it's our turn to make the right play or decision in our lives. This book teaches us as adults, as well as our children, how perfect practice makes perfect!

The book provides a thumnail sketch that is very helpful. However, if you need in depth information this is not the book. It offers an easy to read format and concise.

I got this as a Christmas present to my dad, but found myself wishing I had got it for me. I'm one of those kinds of people that wish I knew more about this and that philosopher, but aren't sure where to begin. I've heard lots of the names in this book but never really knew what they believed, but the book goes over it quite well.

I bought this book after taking an introductory philosophy course in college. I had a deep interest in the subject, but not a very strong background. If you are like me, then this book will be a great starting point for you. Do not expect to find any great analysis of any philosophical theories, or even any opinions on the theories of the various philosophers. In fact, some of the philosophers are covered very briefly, and we are given only the most basic information about them (where they were born, where they studied, what kind of family they came from, where they died, etc.). However, having said that, this book WILL provide you with the basic knowledge of the most influential philosophers so that you may embark on your greater journey into the world of philosophy. It clearly deliniates the beginning of philosophical thought and it's transition to modern philosophy and as most reviewers have stated, it is very well structured and organized. Every major philosopher that you have ever read about/heard of is in this book. I strongly encourage any and all readers interested in a philosophy background to purchase this book!

This is the kind of book you - as a philosophy lover, I assume - can keep on your centerpiece or desk somewhere easily accessible for reference. It's very visually pleasing and organized, so you can spend hours reading about this and that philosopher. Its limitation lies in the explanation of the philosophers' views, which summarizes a lot and as a result you cannot hope to learn much from it content-wise. If your goal is to learn some philosopher's views well, this is not the book for you, but if you want a quick reference for philosophers' time periods, historical heritage, theoretical orientation, etc., it is great.

Conclusion: a good pick if its purpose is understood as a reference, as a poster noted below. The point is to talk about the people rather than the ideas. It will not engage you in deep ideas, but will tell you a bit about a great many thinkers.

Well, I can't pretend that I understood it. I didn't understand "Sophie's World" either. I prefer the format of this lay textbook over the device of the bizarre story of Sophie's World as a structure for didacticism though I admit the bizarre stuff was there to illustrate the philosophical points. I read "One Hundred Philosophers" quickly to see what was available in it but would need to study it with additional texts to go in- depth and attempt to understand the actual philosophy.

I bought the book because it links together disjointed pieces of information. I think it's a good starting point and I intend to use it as a reference book rather than having to go on the net to find the same information.

It's amazing that I'm encountering beliefs out there that I've been reading about in the book and can easily refer to for discussions. There's some surprising individuals in the book to read about, real eye-openers. There are also patterns of biography depending on the era cited e.g. starting out as a theological scholar and getting side-tracked into philosophy.

Some of the woman philosphers' lives make sad reading, early deaths and in one case matyrdom. In contrast, some of the men lived to great ages.

As well though, I saw a pattern of philosophers being repeatedly exiled, tortured, imprisoned and executed for their beliefs though this isn't happening with the latest Continental and Anglo-American ones featured! I found this book so worthwhile I felt inspired to buy one for my 14 year old neice as a great introduction to the valuable and deep subject of philosophy.

Funnily enough, I bought it as one of a selection of books available in the tea-room at work among the usual recipe and typical prosaic lifestyle selection. It was a great buy for $NZ12 (New Zealand).

This book is a true student service for online learning and is a great step toward online student retention! It covers everything the online student would need to know in order to succeed in a self-paced, self-motivated, and technology dependant environment!!

I compared Online Student Skills and Strategies Handbook (Pearson Longman 2006) to E-Learning Companion A Student's Guide to Online Success (Houghton Mifflin 2005) in order to select a resourse to support distance learning. I found Online Student Skills and Strateiges Handbook much more useful, learner oriented and readily accessible. It includes large, clear screen captures to accompany step by step directions. It handles practical topics like using Rich Text Format (RTF), practicing netiquette, storing lessons in a binder, and submitting assignments. It also includes cross references to other relevant chapters in the handbook, and it includes other Internet resources for each chapter. In comparison, E-Learning seems too textbookish. While E-Learning has a useful glossary and index, Online Student Skills and Strategies has a glossary, index and Webliography.

This is a valuable resource for students interested in a successful on-line learning experience. The straightforward and practical examples should help guide everyone from novice to experienced.

I was very impressed with the format, content, attention to detail, step-by-step approach to help users work through technology, and the success-oriented focus of the text. The first chapter utilized an innovative and unique assessment to help users identify what they already know and what they will need to focus on to learn. The text is a well-designed and non-threatening resource for any online user.

I think this text is a practical and useful guide for both novice and experienced online students. The information is very well organized throughout with a couple great appendices containing websites and computer skill tips. The helpful screenshots and lay flat binding are a plus for use as you are working on the computer.

This childrens book illustrates a variety of typical situations that a peanut-allergic child might come across in his daily life. That in itself was helpful to my family, but we also liked the way the boy handles the situations. Hopefully, it gives my child an example of what he needs to say to people when he finds himself in a "peanut pickle". I also want our family and close friends to read this short book to help them understand the situations my child needs to avoid.

This is the story of a six year old boy called Ben and how he copes in various situations with his peanut allergy. Of all the books I have read on this subject, this one was my favorite. It is very thorough. Dealing with all of the ways peanuts or products containing nut traces may be offered to a child by well meaning adults or friends. The information is given is excellent and nothing is left out. My five year old loved it as it showed her how to say no. It describes other safe foods that a peanut allergic child can eat so it has a very upbeat and positive message for the allergic child. I often allow her friends to borrow a copy as an indirect way of informing their parents of my daughters dietary restrictions. It is a fun way to get life saving information across to caregivers and friends. Suitable for children aged four and up. There are more basic books on the market for younger children.

This is a great book for children to share with friends and family. Puts things into perspective for everyone. Thank you so much for writing this book. Awesome job! Great pictures too. We love this book. My son takes his book everywhere and wants to read to everyone. He is only 3.

I thought this book was absolutely fabulous. Having a toddler with the peanut allergy can be very frightening. The book actually goes through different scenarios that can be dangerous for kids with peanut allergies. It teaches kids, AND ADULTS, how to take precautions, in a cute, likable manner. I think I learned as much as my daughter, who absolutely loves this book. It made a great addition to the library at her Pre-School, as many kids enjoy it, even those without the Peanut Allergy. It helped us tremendously. WELL WORTH THE PURCHASE. Even if you have an older child with a newly diagnosed nut allergy, I would recommend purchasing it just to learn about cross-contact risks.

My four year old is severely allergic to peanuts. He understands his allergy, wears his MedAlert bracelet and knows to ask about ingredients if I am not around, but I think that he sometimes feels a bit different/left out.

We read this book, and he said - "Mommy, Where did you find a book about me??" He asked that I re-read it 3 times!

We brought the book into his daycare center (per his request) and he told his teachers that we had brought in a book "About Me and My Allergy" and that he wanted to share it with his class so that they understood that he is "just like them except for the peanuts".

A few days after the teacher read the book to the class, I had other parents tell me that their children were talking about the book and asking them questions about how to keem my son from getting sick again.

What a great book - I recommend it to everyone.

This is a very fun book, though most of the story is via illustrations due to the limitation of only using a ten word vocabulary.

I read this to my daughter once. Then I made ten flash cards and we practiced with them until she knew them backwards, forwards and upside down. Once she learned them, she was "allowed" to read the book all by herself and thus began the "backwards" tradition of her reading to me instead of me reading to her.

She is 25 today and a voracious reader, so this book worked! And it's *fun* to read!

As a toddler this was my favorite book (my parents tell me). Now that I am a parent, I looked to find this part of my childhood for my own toddler. It was difficult to come by, but worth the time spent searching. It is a very simple book (uses only 10 words as the series denotes), but simplicity is its strength. My toddler is quickly learning to say "pickle" and "popped" after only a few reads.

Again, a memory from childhood. This had to be one of the very first books i check out of the school library in kindergarten. I can't believe how hard it actually was to track down over the years, but again the internet and amazon save a collector again. This is a funny little story about a town and their king gathering pickles and piling them high, until suddenly they explode and a huge pond of pickle juice is made. It simple, easy to read, and you can have a heck of a lot of fun with it reading it to your kids...or if your board in the office. So please consider this book as a funny piece in a kids collection that could be passed down from generation to generation. There are other versions available of this book, including a 10-word reader series book, as well as the original scholastic hard back (and this paperback). there is also a paperback reissue available at some places online.

This was the very first book I ever checked out from the library at my school when I was in kindergarten. Make it the first book you child wants to read and hear every night. It is a ridiculously simple book, and utterly entertaining. Plot: Peter has to pick some pickles... Then fun and chaos ensues. The artwork nicely compliments the story and still makes me giggle to this day. Well worth any price you pay for it.

I don't know what it was exactly about this book, but I REALLY liked it as a kid and now I want to be able to share it with my twin boys (age 4). Wish I knew what happened to my copy! Definitely worth sharing with a whole new generation. LIVE ON PICKLE PICKLE PICKLE JUICE!! (ha ha)

In The Power to Transform, Stephanie Pace Marshall poses the question of what it will take to create a generative and life-affirming system of learning and schooling that liberates the goodness and genius of all children and invites and nurtures the power and creativity of the human spirit for the world. The question stirs deep and often latent passion in those of us who are devoting our professional lives to education. What would it take? How does one even begin to conceptualize the journey let alone chart a course toward such a vision? The Power to Transform offers those who are willing to look beyond the myriad of barriers to the possibility of a very different future.

Books on leadership for systemic reform typically offer direction for aligning and connecting the functions of school systems with visions that often speak eloquently to life-long learning, productive work, and global citizenship. Alignment and connection are complex and necessary steps but they do not go far enough. Marshall is dead on labeling the goal of much of what is characterized as reform and transformation as leading us to false proxies for learning--high scores on high stakes tests. As educators we know these limited snapshots are far from evidence of deep understanding, internal authority for learning, and the ability to apply learning in multiple contexts that are necessary to achieve these visions.

So what will it take? Direction, design, rich and compelling stories that offer evidence that such learning environments are possible, and evidence of success from students who have experienced this fundamentally different approach to learning and schooling. The Power to Transform presents a powerful argument for why leaders cannot accept false proxies for learning and offers an alternative future for learning and schooling that embraces the learning competencies needed to thrive in a complex, interdependent, and continuously changing world. Principles of design offer direction, not prescription, that allow for contextualizing processes and structures to operationalize the vision. Marshall draws heavily from two decades of experience in leading the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. She describes a learning journey where she and her staff are learning their way into creating a desired future. The stories of her students who have experienced a more generative and life-affirming system of learning at IMSA speak to thriving in schooling, work, and their commitment to work toward a more sustainable future for our world.

Stephanie Pace Marshall takes the time, and makes the enormous effort, to describe the education system our children need now, and in the future.

This is a difficult and valuable task. Her work is based on 40 years of experience, including the creation and administration of the Illinois Math and Science Academy. Her ideas work - the challenge for us as readers is to think about how we are going to implement these ideas in our own schools and communities.

This is an extremely valuable book for anyone who wants to engage in the transformation of schools from their current model to one which will meet our needs for the future. It is especially valuable for educational leaders, administrators and school board members who guide our school systems. It is inspirational for the many of us who wish we knew what to do to help improve education.

However, it is not an easy read. It takes some effort to absorb Ms. Pace Marshall's new language for her ideas, but, it is worthwhile. I found myself taking notes, brainstorming with colleagues and thinking in new ways as I made my way through. I wish you an equally exciting read.

THE POWER TO TRANSFORM: Leadership That Brings Learning and Schooling to Life is a brilliant and compelling book -- must reading for anyone interested in transforming today's educational system into one that truly meets the needs of 21st century children and 21st century society.

Marshall points out that the model upon which most of today's schools are based reflects society's present priorities of practicality and immediate usefulness. Children are looked upon as beings with innate learning deficiencies, and the job of education is to fill their minds with facts and attitudes that will be useful in present-day society. This approach does not equip today's children for the world of tomorrow. As Marshall put it, "A world dominated by excessively competitive and acquiring minds who cannot think holistically, systemically, long term, and wisely is dangerous. ... Exploration, creativity, imagination, passion, wonder, and awe lie at the heart of life and learning. They must also be at the heart of schooling."

The remedy that Marshall proposes is to use the principles of living systems as design principles for creating a "new [educational] story" -- creating "learning communities" that are "naturally autonomous, open, creative, self-organizing, connected and adaptive." Rather that trying to pour dry facts into the heads of bored, disengaged children, the approach is to excite and enthusiastically engage them by having them explore real world issues and problems -- "problems that matter." In the process, the children gather the facts they need, and are receptive to learning new skills (reading, 'riting, 'rithmatic, and more) because they realize that they need these tools to analyze, solve, and report on the problems they care about.

"Great questions" are another focal point in Marshall's approach. She calls them "portals to a future of unknown possibilities." Her advice to students is "Ask questions that matter. Ask questions that make a difference. Ask questions you love so that as you live your life seeking the answers you will find joy." She lists 28 "big questions for deep learning" that relate to her four pillars of learning: learning to know, learning to do, learning to be, and learning to live together.

Marshall stresses that this new approach does not abandon standards, formal curriculum, instruction, evaluation, measurement, or assessment. But old approaches to these matters have been transformed into ones that reflect the changed values which underlie the new schema.

This book is rich and deep, and almost every page had me saying, "Yes, yes, of course!" Marshall ends the book with the following call to action: "Please do not wait for others. Courage is the capacity to claim what we imagine. If you are carrying this new story in your heart, now is the time to step forward. There is a place in the world for your unique voice, and it carries a message that must be heard. Start anywhere, but begin the conversation, and tell the new story that brings learning and schooling to life."

So many books on school leadership--haven't we all slogged our way through them?--are manifestos from those who tell us with great certainty and authority what we must "know": how to realign building resources, institute new management beliefs, and instrumentally refocus strategic goals. Again and again these books disappoint. They are unreal technical manuals that do not address the deep, dysfunctional paradigms that underlie our current educational system: that students are containable, defined units to be filled with knowledge, that competition and external prodding inspires profound learning, that learning itself is linear and predictable. Using narrative--the power of story--and her own experiences of being transformed through leading, Marshall proposes a new model of generative school learning based on abundance. (So little in our educational system is based on an assumption of abundance, the idea itself is almost startling.) Marshall says that instead of regarding the learner reductively and mechanistically, as we tend to in our day-to-day interactions and in larger educational policy, she invites us to rethink our work and learn to tell a new story about ourselves, one that reflects that:

Learning is shaped by personal purpose
Ability is multidimensional
Holistic engagement of all the learner's senses and feelings is essential for real inquiry (p. 81).

This doesn't sound like many high schools I visit every week, unfortunately, where learning by compulsion, fear, or threat are the veiled order of the day. My hope is that Marshall's book will find its way to many school leaders, those who are ready to look deeply into the fundamental assumptions that underlie their work and the structures of education in America. Especially useful is Marshall's table comparing "current reductive" educational ideas and a new "generative and personalized" vision of learning, teaching and curriculum (pp. 219-225). The table is a remarkably clear, concise analysis of what is, and what might be. Finally, Marshall offers some good words to live by, for any leader anywhere. In a letter to her grandchildren she reminds them that one's life is about:

Your integrity, not your position
Your voice, not your power
Your name, not your title
Your calling, not your career
Your legacy, not your success (p. 214).

I have these words up on the wall of my office, and I visit with them often. Marshall is wise, inspiring and refreshing.

Most education reform today consists of tinkering around the edges of an essentially broken model, of adding more of the same and, inexplicably, expecting things to get better. We are long overdue for a new vision. The Power to Transform provides exactly that.

Stephanie Pace Marshall's impassioned, deeply thoughtful and groundbreaking book on transformative leadership for schooling and learning is easily among the top five books on education currently in print, and the only one I know that gives readers a powerful vision for the future and for true systemic change. It is a guide for those who would lead a revolutionary movement to fundamentally transform American education, even from within their own schools.

Those who have read Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat understand the need for radical change in our nation's schools if the United States is to remain a creative and contributing society among world nations, equal to the challenges that lie ahead. To be successful in this new world, young people need different skills than preceding generations, an engaged relationship to learning (sorely lacking in today's often lackluster and out of touch schools) and ways to connect their capacities and interests to the work that needs doing in the world. Dr. Marshall has tapped the disconnect between what is and what needs to be in education in a powerful and compelling way, through story and through a well-reasoned argument for change. She also provides questions to guide that process at both the grass roots level and within the halls of power.

Endorsements by Howard Gardner, Parker Palmer, Margaret Wheatley and Robert Galvin speak to the importance of this book; it is truly a seminal work and a must read for anyone interested in making schools better for students, for teachers and for the world. I used The Power to Transform last year for a seminar I conduct at Northwestern University, and I plan to use it again this fall. The book was a huge success, and I'm looking forward to the rich conversations and practical school level applications it generates within my next seminar class. I cannot recommend it highly enough! And I love her letter to her grandchildren. I, too, have it up in my office and share it widely.

If you're new to the field then Program Evaluation provides a framework which makes sense of the various approaches. The authors have an easy style, sparing the reader from unnecessary jargon where they can. The introductory chapters provide a brief philosophical and ideological background to alternative approaches to evaluation. I came across this text during an introductory course in Instructional Design so it helped to place evaluation with what I had already covered on learning theory.

I received my book quickly and its condition was exactly as described - even better. I am extremely pleased with both Amazon's service and their products. Thank you for an excellent customer experience.

This book was easy to read and gave excellent examples and case studies. it was short and to the point and didn't drag on an idea. It was also informative in that it gave you when it was the author's bias or actual studied facts.

This book is used as a text book in my graduate class on evaluation in Instructional Technology. The book is clear, easy to understand, thorough and a good "primer" on evaluation.

This text surveys evaluation theory and practice in a manner that is easy to understand and teach. It's appropriate for undergraduate or graduate work in performance evaluation. The authors do an excellent job of reviewing the history and key literature. They also briefly explain popular methodologies and discuss different approaches, such as objective and holistic. The book includes case study material that highlights processes, advantages, drawbacks, and potential problems of evaluation efforts. The authors avoid consulting hype and focus on building the evaluation body of knowledge. An update with Fitzpatrick listed as the first author is now available and also is excellent.