Colleges and Universities Books

Women's basketball books occupy a special niche in sportswriting.
Writing about a male players, an author might ask, "How did they make it into the big time?"
Writing about women, authors are forced to ask, "How did they get here at all?" This question adds a new dimension to the stories of women athletes. Players as young as today's collegians have had to overcome stereotypes. Many played on boys' teams -- or tried to.

Gallaudet women have to overcome a double stereotype -- being not only female, but also deaf. There was a time when opposing teams would openly ridicule deaf basketball players. One player was devastated as a high school student when a coach from a Christian academy openly laughed at her speech. She made the team but never forgot the experience.

However, the players want to be taken seriously as athletes. They do not want or need pity or condescension. To Coffey's credit, the book focuses on basketball, not deafness. We learn how players and teams compensate for a silent world. They can hear someone dribbling behind them. Referees are briefed: players can't hear the whistle so they may not stop playing immediately. And players on "hearing" teams need ASL translators who understand basketball terms.

Yet ultimately the story is about the game: coming together as a team and working to win. Like any sports book, there are stories of triumphs as well as tears. We come to care about the players as they, like all college athletes, balance basketball and books.

Perhaps the most difficult story takes place after the book was written. Ronda Jo Miller, an All-American center, cannot reach her goal of playing on a WNBA team. In stories posted on the internet, we can learn that she earned admiration of players and coaches during the tryout camp. She eventually played professionally in Denmark, with a "hearing" team, and has played in Kansas City with an expansion league, the WNBL.

What happens to the other athletes? Playing on a winning team can change lives and I found myself hoping they will continue to feel like winners, long after the season has ended.

Wayne Coffey not only knows sports but he knows how to write tight, action packed chapters. This story moves. Interpersed with backgrounds on the team members, the history of deaf culture, the story tracks the team through an incredible season. I am not an avid basketball fan nor did I have any particular interest in deaf culture, but this book captured my interest from the first page and held it throughout.

A rare find.

Beautifully written that, at turns, is funny, touching, fascinating and absorbing. I read it at a single sitting.
Such wonderful character studies of the players, their families and the world of Gallaudet. If you like basketball, if you like visiting other cultures or if you just like stories that bring people to life, you'll love this book. Highly recommended.

This book is so good I couldnt stop reading it! It's an inspirational story about human nature, what it takes to be the best and something I knew nothing about previously...deaf culture. It's a well written, must read for anyone who has ever worked hard for something...hearing or deaf.

This is a well written book that will be of interest to any prospective college student and their parents. Read this book and learn what really goes on in a successful university, one that will provide you a useful education. There are important decisions to be made by the administration of any university and this book tells a success story. Not every one will attend Princeton or Harvard and this book will help the rest make a wise choice.
Anyone in a decision making position can learn from Dr. Bruce's thoughtful rendition of his experience and success!

I found Dr. Bruce's book to be a fascinating description of how a strong president can build a University through pursuasive and bold leadership while also allowing for concensus and collegiality. He provides a captivating model for others to follow. His personal stories, honesty and wit; the inclusion of various administrators, and his wife; and the obvious difficulty in retelling certain situations and events, bring the strategic planning and initiatives to life. His chapter on college athletics is compelling reading for anyone in higher education today.

I think this book is critically important reading for college presidents and those aspiring to become presidents . It should also be on every college trustee's 'must read' list.

I enjoyed it immensley.

Acting on Promise provides an important message for anyone pursuing a career as a college/university administrator. Without beating his own drum, Bob Bruce provides a seven step outline for effective senior leadership.

1. Hire good people
2. Define their roles
3. Encourage dialogue and open expression of ideas
4. Build a consensus
5. Make sure everyone is on the same page
6. Allow them to run their own divisions
7. Hold people accountable

His book also makes a convincing argument for the value of "strategic thinking" as a dynamic alternative to an institutional "strategic plan". Acting on Promise should be required reading for Doctoral programs in Higher Education.

--Michael L. Mahoney, D.Ed.

Acting on Promise was a thoroughly enjoyable read. Having been a junior staff member during the last eight years of Bob Bruce's administration it was interesting to see how Widener evolved into the dynamic institution it became under his leadership. The book is a valuable resource tool for all levels of administrators as Bob's leadership style revealed in the book serves as a blueprint on how to encourage, mentor and inspire. Acting on Promise reinforces and illustrates the `how-to' of successful leadership page by page, and I am proof of how a career has been positively shaped as a result of working for a most dynamic president who was vested in every person at Widener.

--Susan Fumagalli

This guide provides some important information for African-Americans who are planning to apply to colleges. I'm writing this in October 2006 and got this book out of the library. Too bad that there isn't an updated version around. I think it speaks volumes about how African-Americans are disenfranchised in the college process. In my area, most tend to just go to the local community college or the poorest state college in the area. My feeling is that many people are steered to these colleges and very little information is provided at the high school level to encourage African-American students to research colleges and take a deeper look into the process.

I wish this book was available when I was in the process of choosing a school. I think every African American student needs a guide to help them through the process of picking the right school for them. This book gives them the feeling that every question no matter how big or small is an important one. Ms.Parhams comical antedotes also make the book believable and easy to read. I think every high school senior should have this book in their suitcase as they pack for school this fall.

Ms. Parham has written the definitive book for African-Americans planning on pursuing a college education. The trick is getting in and staying in...her thoughtful, humorous insights and practical observations make this book very easy to read. A truly gifted author!!

J. Wilson Bowman has done an exemplenary job of providing a comprehensive resource for students, parents, counselors, and educational advisors. As a mentor for an At-Risk youth group in the San Francisco Bay Area, I will definitely recommend that all of our students and parents purchase and read J. Wilson Bowman's reference guide. I just wish that I had such an outstanding guide when I was in high school!!

It is the most complete resource on Historically Black Colleges. Anyone thinking of going to college should review this book, particularly African Americans. After working in many urban school districts, I found that most High School Students want information on all of the options available to them. To Parents, Educators and Counselors who want to provide a full picture of the eduactional landscape, America's Black and Tribal Colleges provides great detail.

This is an excellent resource book to have,because nowhere else can you find the information compiled the way that it is in this particular book. The author has obviously done his homework. There are colleges in this book that many people, myself in- cluded, did not even know existed. With so many people looking to get a quality education without having to own a bank to pay for the tuition, this is definitely a place to start!!

This is just one of those books that anyone involved in higher education needs to have. As a student of a university that is struggling with just how to reach out to our community, I would highly suggest it to anyone who wants to spend some time and reevaluate the relationship between institutions and communities.

This book is well written and very insightful. It can defintely be used as a tool for colleges and universities to form positive relationships with the community. I highly recommend it!

David Maurrasse has produced a thoughtful study in his book which examines four rather different and distinct IHES (Institutions of Higher Education). By studying how each IHE serves its community, readers can get a good picture of the different approaches in use today. The IHEs--which include a state, an Ivy League, a private, and even a community college campus--serve as a fine set of baseline campuses for study.

Hostos is my particular concern, since I am a Dean at Hostos, and I am well versed in the challenges we face each day in serving our South Bronx community. I believe that Dr. Maurrasse has indeed hit the mark and hit it well in this study. I can, at least, verify his contextualizing of the Hostos mission and its community's needs. His method of becoming thoroughly familiar with the physical aspects of each campus and its history by closely interviewing members of the community as well as faculty, staff, administrators, and students is laudable. At Hostos I know he spoke to long-time stakeholders from the college community and the community at large.

The book should be challenging higher education policy makers to focus on improving community outreach strategic plans for years to come. IHEs can not afford to be percieved as "ivory towers."

WARNING: this is not your typical college guide book! And, when it is written by students for students, that's a good thing. While there's no doubt that college-searching students need a guidebook with facts, figures and statistics, a book that puts "flesh on the bones" of a potential college experience is equally important. This is the prospective college student's anecdotal guidebook on subjects: such as "Nightlife, Greek Life, Guys, Girls, and Drug Scene". Basics are also included, but what the students will sit around to read and discuss are the four or five quotes on various topics including "Academics, Local Atmosphere, Safety and Security", etc. It is the quotes by each college's current students that give this one-of-a-kind guidebook its power. My students Love this book.

Neil Clark
Dean of College Counseling and Guidance
The Walker School
Marietta, Georgia

College Prowler's Big Book of Colleges is a great read! I can't imaging any student applying to college without reading the well-balanced description of each college. The fact that the insights shared reflect the thinking of the current student body and that the descriptions are so well organized makes the book a MUST-READ!

Judi Robinovitz, Certified Educational Planner
Florida

I'm a little disappointed that they didn't cover some of the smaller schools in my area but the book does cover 280 schools and had every school that I'm seriously considering.

For each college, the book has interesting facts and figures, best/worst lists, and student opinions and quotes on what its like to go there.

If you're only looking at small local schools or community colleges, don't buy the book. Otherwise I think its very helpful.

"A Black and White Case" provides a comprehensive history of affirmative action of value to anyone interested in race in America. As the subtitle ("How Affirmative Action Survived its Greatest legal Challenge") suggests, Stohr tends to favor the proponents of affirmative action. At the same time, however, he shows sympathy and insight into its opponents. For example, Stohr's portrait of Carl Cohen -- the Michigan philosophy professor who first unearthed Michigan's statistics on affirmative action -- reveals that the intellectuals behind the recent challenges come from backgrounds far from the mainstream of the conservative movement.

Stohr also presents an account of the Supreme Court that in many ways outshines that of Bob Woodward's and Carl Bernstein's in The Brethren. In contrast to Woodward and Bernstein, Stohr lacks Woodward and Bernstein's instinctive hostility to the Court's right wing.

Finally, Stohr does an admirable job tying together chacters and events covering a broad scope of time and space into a book with suprisingly strong narrative force. Shelby Foote once said that in writing, plot is the last thing that a writer masters, if he masters it at all. Stohr succeeds in this important respect.

This is an excellent book.

Whether or not we choose to acknowledge it, every student who has entered an American university over the past 50 years is a product of the affirmative action and diversity policies of our nation's education system. The U. of Michigan case that is the heart of "A Black and White Case" is a landmark ruling that impacts the admission policy of every U.S. university. The issues described in this book are extremely important to each of us as citizens. Everyone interested in the American higher education system sould read this book.

Greg Stohr provides an incredibly balanced account of the highly charged issue of race-based admissions policies. Mr. Stohr also does an excellent job of taking very complicated legal facts and analysis and turning them into a fast-moving story that non-legal scholars can follow and understand. This is the most important legal book I have read in several years. It is also a terrific read. I highly recommend this new author.

Stohr's book reminded me of an old television program hosted by Walter Cronkite. It reenacted significant events in history and he always ended it by saying, "You were there." I felt as though I had been behind the scenes as those involved with the two affirmative action cases worked for victory. Stohr explains the legal terms clearly without being condescending. He delves into the personalities and the politics which determine the outcomes. I especially enjoyed his coverage of the Supreme Court. Stohr is an excellent, fair minded reporter.

I was very fortunate to read a book that gave you a feelimg that there are few football coaches out there who can coach football the old fashion way: physical discipline, honesty, and being a great motivator. For Bo to share the stories about Woody Hayes was just awesome. I feel that Bo went thru a great experince in his life time. I have read this book probably 10 times and I like what he critcizes about the NCAA making these ridiculous standards. May God bless him.

If you are a fan at all of michigan, or know anything about Bo Schembechler you will love this book. It's a great biography about a great coach. This book takes you to a small family in Ohio to a assistant coach under Woody Hays then to Ann Arbor to become one of the most famous coaches in NCAA history, I HIGHLY recomend this book... GO BLUE!

If you love football this book is a must read. The stories about Bo and Woody are tremendous. I wish all young coaches would read this book before establishing a coaching philosophy. The character of Bo is inspiring and proves that you can still win and do it the right way.

I enjoyed reading this book. It takes the reader behind the scenes and shows how much effort goes before and behind the actual game. It was a wonderful
reminder of the fun I have when I get to attend a women's basketball game.
Virgil A. Place, M.D.

As an avid fan of college women's basketball for almost thirty years, I found this book enjoyable on several levels. First, it was enlightening to learn some of what it's like inside a national powerhouse women's basketball program; the author's stories brought me inside the excitement of a well respected program. Secondly, the chapters are about Stanford, a university recognized for its scholarship; it grows scholars who happen to be athletes. The narratives about recruitment, coursework, and balance of student and athlete were informative. Thirdly, the details about the boosters who built the Fast Break Club itself were funny and touching. The author brought me along for the ride when she took a tour of the PAC-10 schools, and I was inside the hearts of boosters who traveled in sickness and in health to support their teams, no matter the weather or the time zone.

And finally, the author is a good writer and storyteller, her chapters and narratives flow well, the many photos add to the book, and I didn't want to put the book down. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in women's basketball. If you don't have a team to cheer for before you start the book, you will want to find one after you finish reading it!

Boosters Always Win! The Fans of Women's Basketball is a very engaging personal account of how a small group of people banded together to form what has become a very dynamic, educational, and highly effective booster organization that contributes enormously to the Women's Basketball program at Stanford University.
Harriet Benson has succeeded in giving little snapshots into behind the scene issues of what it took to develop The Fast Break Club, it's struggles, how it might best serve the program, it's future. For those who have followed the team, this is a bit of a trip down memory lane. It's a great read for anyone connected with the team or anyone interested in forming a booster organization to support any group.
The Fast Break Club now has a life of its own that nurtures not only the program, the players, the coaches, but the boosters as well. "If you build it they will come", and indeed they did!

There is no way to describe College Prowler's books other than amazing. Whether you're already in college, still deciding on one to go to, or deciding which ones to apply to, College Prowler's books are probably the best asset you can have.
It's the only guide written with information from students who actually go there, instead of just what the school wants you to think. College Prowler's guides can tell you everything: where to hang out, where to live, how much money to have on hand, where to park, how much drugs/alcohol is being passed around, how attractive your peers will be, and just about anything else you could want to know about a school.

I am currently a senior in high school, and will be graduating this spring. I received this book as a gift recently and read it from cover to cover. It's no nonsense, in your face honesty is something I truly enjoy and respect. This book has put me over the edge in my decision to attend BU, and I have decided to enroll early acceptance as a result. Bravo to the authors!

Unlike most college guidebooks available about particular schools, this review goes far beyond the statistics...allowing the reader to get a real glimpse at life at Boston University. Adhering to a "by students, for students" attitude, this edition is aimed at high school seniors who are uncertain whether a particular university will suit their lifestyle, preferences, and individual needs. With a generous dose of humor and honest commentary by the author about her experiences as a student, this is an excellent choice for any potential student.