Colleges and Universities Books

Dr. Lepore and Ms. Leslie have written a memorable compilation of useful advice that every student should be well acquainted with before entering the university environment. In short, this book, "What Every Student...", is an extremely well-written and invaluable work that will no doubt become a staple of every college student's education. I highly recommnend it!

Never in my 24 years as a University-level advisor have I seen an advice book that truly gives students an inside look on the world of higher education. It's all here: how to get the best classes, the best recommendations...in short, the best education. And done in a fun and accessible format! When college students find themselves in new and unidentifiable territory where the stakes riding on their academic decisions are tremendous, this guide will be their compass. The saavy advice and charming creativity of Ms. Leslie and her co-author are not to be missed. A+!

This is really a wonderful work. One of the authors is a university professor; the other is an undergraduate: this in itself is an inspired idea. But what really makes the book stand out is the way that they have managed to translate their combined wisdom into genuinely useful practical advice. If you are looking for a gift for someone college-bound, look no further...

I attended a talk by Mr Dunbar the other night. He was knowledgable, interesting and helped explain alot of what goes on behind the closed door in the college admissions office. I am anxious to read his book and learn more as we navigate the college admissions process.

I bought this book with the intent of giving to my daughter, who is quickly approaching the age where college applications, essays and interviews fill the air. I decided to read it myself, as I have bought her several books about college that have turned out to be duds. I wanted to make sure she wouldn't waste valuable time reading a book that wouldn't be of any help to her.

I discovered the book is full of advice on how to write essays that many top colleges are seeking and how to avoid pitfalls that are common to applicants. In addition, I also discovered a wealth of information on how to interview and what traps to avoid during that process. The book is well written and the information timely and helpful if you are trying to get into a top school, or if you are a student with poor grades trying to get into an average school. It is written in plain language, and although there is some redundancy, it is a book that can easily be read by college bound high school students.

The one caution is that the book is geared for students who are seeking admission into liberal arts colleges. They are the primary colleges that are looking at essays and using interviews for admission purposes. More technical colleges, as my daughter has discovered, are looking more at course load and grades, and put little emphasis or importance on the essay/interview process. If you are looking to go to a technical college, this book might help a little, but it is very helpful for those seeking admission into top liberal arts colleges.

it is a good book especially if you are a talented student and you need little advices

It's surprising to see how actual the architecture in Mexico is nowadays.

Excellent, Norten is really building a new trend in architecture: the creation of spaces full of pleasure: light, functionality, metal and glass combined to greatness.

It's surprising to see how actual the architecture in Mexico is nowadays.

i could't afford to visit all the colleges i was considering, so i bought a few of the college prowler books. although i chose a different school, this was one of the best books i came across. it really did feel like the closest thing to visiting in person, and that's how i knew it probably wasnt a perfect fit. if i didnt have it, i might have made a mistake. really great book!

"Yale University: Off the Record (College Prowler)" is a must have for any high school student, college transfer, or parent thinking about attending or simply researching the university. The information is provided in both an informative and interesting manner. I love the fact that it's entirely written by a current student and that I learned things I'd likely never have found out if I'd just relied on the bigger reports out there. Some of the unique elements include sections on "Guys and Girls", "Finding a Job or Internship", and "Off-Campus Housing". The student quotes are especially helpful, as they give insight into all aspects of the school's culture that you won't get on a college tour. I highly recommend this book.

This guide is the definitive resource on Yale University. Unlike other books that are huge compendiums with just a bit of information on all universities, this book covers the college in depth, from academics to the party scene to parking to safety and security. And unlike, propaganda provided by the university itself, this guide is impartial, written by an actual student, and contains a collection of real student quotes on every topic! Not only does this book provide an honest look into Yale, it is a great resource once there. It includes a restaurant guide, lists of the best places to study, the best places for coffee, the best places to go clubbing, the best ways to get around town (including phone numbers for taxi services, rental cars, airports, etc.), and it gives information on the local movie theaters, hotels, night spots, etc. There is even a list of Yale slang - you will be speaking like a Yalie before you even arrive! This guide is a must for every prospective student, every parent, and every student about to begin his/her education at this great university.

I came across this book, by accident in my university library. I thought this book would be like any other tips book... well it is.
But the thing is, it is the most compact research tips book I could ever found until now.

All the tips here come in dotted style. So, if you are in a hurry, which every research student usually is, would really appreciate book like this. But, it's not all about list of dogmatic things to do. Every tips are accompanied with brief explanation, which is suffieciently given in my opinion.

This book comprise of 52 small chapters. The chapters are classified based on things to do. For example, 'Giving your first conference paper', Getting started in publishing', 'Submitting your thesis', etc. So, if you are in a hurry, you could just go to specific chapter and read what things to do there. I use those lists, for kind of keeping track of myself.

a very good book for researchers embarking for a higher degree (masters or Ph.D.). interesting format with useful tips on many aspects of the research experience. draws attention to aspects that go mostly unnoticed by many of us (many tips deal with common sense matters though). deals with practical issues, unlike many works in this field that tend to concentrate on the 'emotional & stressful" sides of research' ! good chapters on: GETTING STARTED, FINDING YOUR FEET AND KEEPING THEM, READING WRITING FINISHING ... etc. a useful book. I recommend it strongly.

This is a wonderful story. Calling all film makers -- especially native ones -- this would make a hell of a screenplay. But readers and writers will love the book. The tone of the story is superb, the author writes of painful things without selfconsciousness and explores the experience of growing up a mixed blood Indian in ways that make it real for any audience. The characters are memorable, the story of the love between Alley and Sara will touch your heart and the descriptions are poetic. Wise Grandfather will make you laugh. Get to know that special place known as "The Absence of Angels" -- you won't regret it. Penn is an award winning author also, whose other novel (Killing Time With Strangers) won the American Book Award and is also a must-read.

As the pages fly by, your pulse begins to quicken, your heart starts to race, you wish you could be inside these wonderful pages.

At the end of the book, Clark tells us that in 1989 he (then a newly minted PhD in history) received the following comment from one of his former teachers, who had just read the original "Urtext" from which this book grew: "It is too bad I did not have time to combat in you your pernicious Foucaultian reading of Weber's rationalization theories!" This is funny (the book often is -- I found myself laughing out loud several times -- no doubt because some of the analyses struck a little close to home!). It's funny in part because it makes his old teacher look a bit like a hopeless fuddy-duddy (the kind of historian who approves of Weber but not Foucault -- a real generational divide!). But it's also revealing: Clark's book really does read as a Foucaultian micrology of the university, one which teases a "grand metanarrative" about its historical development out of a series of analyses of mundane material items like lists, charts, drawings, etc. found in the archives.

Clarks's grand narrative -- the eclipse of the oral by the written in the Academy -- sounds more Derridean than Foucaultian actually, but the real point of the book seem to be to show how productive an exercise in Foucaultian method can be, to show how much can be learned from a series of painstaking analyses of miscellaneous material from the archives. These analyses are often extremely entertaining and interesting. (I did find some for me uninteresting stretches, but they never lasted too long, and the book rewards the reader's patience by eventually getting good again -- indeed, it keeps you reading for nearly 500 pages... no mean feat these days!) Still, there's something funny about them (I imagine future historians trying to deduce the nature of our culture by studying such things as collections of plastic Denny's placemats preserved in some archive...), but one cannot help but be dazzled by the depth and breadth of the research this book displays.

The irony here, of course, is that Clark's book clearly participates in the triumph of research whose history it deconstructively reconstructs. Clark recognizes this, and tells us (again showing his good humor) that he was surprised by his former teacher's reaction, since he himself thought his book would be read as "a long-winded diatribe on the ultimate identity of narcissism and nihilism." I think few readers will take it that way, but the book does open up that abyss. Here one cannot help but recall what Clark says about the early dissertations he researched in his own dissertation:

"Most of the erudite dissertations in appendix 4 do not add up to anything beyond themselves. They are specimens of erudition. They resemble displays and exhibitions. ...One cultivated the classical or illuminated the obscure. In either case, the point was display, virtuosity the key."

Clark goes on to show, however, that the early dissertations which were erudite displays of useless knowledge soon evolved into the more familiar, cumulative genre in which dissertations became overlapping pieces of a larger puzzle, thereby contributing to the birth of modern scholarship. Clark's own book is impressive not only for the mountains of research it digests and presents, but also because it is sure to encourage all manner of future research into the fascinating topic of the history of the institutions that continue to shape so many of us. While undeniabley dazzling, Clark's book strikes me as a useful (rather than useless) display of erudition. I cannot predict how the book will be received, other than well, but I suspect that Clark -- instead of (or at least in addition to) being seen as a narcissistic nihilist -- will soon find himself teaching at an elite research university!

I might just add that the book, as a work by a historian intended primarily for historians, does not seem to have realized how widely it would be read, and so does not systematically present much of the historical background against which its various analyses unfold, instead assuming its readers will already possess that historical background. Still, the narrative is rich enough that one can absorb most of the historical background by induction.

Fascinating beyond measure, and a work that should be read by anyone who has experience in academia, this book details the history, attitudes, and influences behind the modern research university. The latter has been subjected to harsh criticism of late, and some of this is justified, so this book will be helpful in assessing the validity of this criticism, in addition to providing information to the purely curious reader. The author interjects humor into the text, and sometimes a great deal of cynicism, but as a whole the book should sit on the shelf of every academician, both professor and administrator. Those who contemplate entering the academy will also benefit from its perusal, although it might scare off a few who expect the university to be populated by seekers of truth and wisdom. At times in the book the author it seems has an axe to grind, but his intentions are irrelevant in this regard. All that matters is whether or not he has provided evidence for his views. The huge collection of references at the end of the book reveals that he has done his homework, and those who disagree with his words will thus have to counter them with references of their own, a project that would of course be extremely time-consuming, but worth the effort.

For those (such as this reviewer) who are not familiar with the history behind the research university, but who crave to understand why it functions the way that it does, will find many surprises in this book and many questions answered. What are the origins for example of the doctoral dissertation, the oral exam, and the seminar? When did faculty salaries become an issue for the university? What is the origin of the endowed chair? Why are some professors held in such high esteem when their credentials are really weak in comparison to others? When was the first doctorate given? The answers to these questions will be surprising for the reader who has viewed the university as a citadel of truth that is completely divorced from historical context.

It is a little odd to view a professor as possessing "charisma", a word that the title of this book contains. When one calls an individual charismatic it is usually a person such as a military or political leader, who is able, through rhetoric or some other equally nefarious technique of power mongering, to convince others to rally behind his causes. But the charisma of a professor or a holder of an academic chair is tied to a spirit of uncritical adulation, generated by fame and a certain display of "originality" in their writings, the author argues, and he traces the art of charisma acquisition to the German Protestant Lands of the eighteenth century. It survived the rationalization of the Enlightenment and the Romanticist countermovement to bring about the system that we have today: one of "fame through publication" instead of the oral tradition of centuries ago.

The author sounds disappointed, and rightfully so, that this doctrine of charisma was spared, referring to history as being "cunning" in allowing it to survive. But unfortunately the academy is stuck with it, along with anonymous refereeing that encourages verbal sadism, a "publish or perish" mentality that favors lesser problems over ones of fundamental significance, and unbridled sycophancy to faculty who chair institutes and rule adroitly if not robotically. If anything this book will begin a dialog that will grow to such an extent that it will counter the "self-evident" truths that are axiomatized by the members of the current academic elite. It shows at bare minimum that institutions are the result of history and cultural evolution, and their expressions are not carved in stone. It will be interesting to see how rapid the research institution will change. It is currently facing a population of researchers who reach each other through the free exchange that technology provides them. The research journal may become a thing of the past, replaced with rapid communications enabled by the Internet and very inexpensive publication. Will the charisma of the research professor survive this (cunning?) technological and historical whirlwind? Maybe, but most probably not.

This collection of readings was so helpful to me, even as a graduate student. I used selections from this book when I constructed a class for teaching assistants. Topics covered include academic freedom and free speech, getting a job, the art of publishing, and discussion vs. lecture courses. Absolutely indispensable reading for the academic. Will be an invaluable reference throughout an academic career.

This is a book I wish someone had told me about when still a doctoral student -- it certainly would have helped a great deal over the years. Things obviously would have worked much better and my transition from Graduate School to the professoriate would have been much smoother. Every graduate student and every new assistant professor needs one on their shelves. Not only that: Graduate Faculty, please buy one for your teaching assistant, your doctoral student and every graduate student you advise. It will do them a world of good and they'll be ever grateful to you!

"Adirondack Mammals" is a wonderful publication that goes into depth on the behaviors of the mammals that make the Adirondack Mountains their habitat. All the information you'll want to know about the animals of the park is in this book.

Adirondack Mammals is a thorough guide to the animals of the Adirondacks. If you would like to know what month a certain mammal gives birth to its young, or what a certain mammal eats, this is a great guide to have. There are 54 mammals included in all and they range from tiny mice to the moose. This guide is a necessity to people who live in , or plan on visiting the Adirondacks.

Even as a person who cares about race issues and followed the Michigan cases with great interest, I found this book to be tremendously eye-opening. Mr. Wise examines many of the myths surrounding affirmative action programs and race, and methodically and persuasively "de-bunks" them, in many cases merely by unpacking the statistics that were cited in the Michigan cases themselves. I've already given this book to several friends to read, all of whom found it as absorbing and fascinating as I did. And I've cited it to many other friends, including a number of black friends, to point out the many myths that have heretofore gone unchallenged, even in the black community. I wish I could give a copy of this book to everyone in the United States. I'd love to witness and take part in the dialogue that came out of that reading project. I can't recommend this book highly enough. And do be sure to read White Like Me, Mr. Wise's other recently published book.

Again, as he did in "White Like Me", Wise forces America to look itself in the face and examine the reflection with honesty and integrity. In this book, Wise appeals to common sense, and "scientific minds" for those who need proof for the otherwise obvious, and makes one of the most compelling arguments for affirmative action while rebutting, with countless research, the dubious arguments of those who claim that affirmative action, particulary in college admissions policies, is reverse discrimination and a system of "handouts" to unqualified blacks, who in essence steal the seats from qualified whites. He demonstrates how subscribers to such arguments base their claims almost entirely on the "racial gap" in SAT, ACT, and GRE scores that supposedly "prove" how whites are being discriminated against when blacks with lower test scores take whites' "rightly earned" seats. However, through use of countless research, Wise demonstrates not only how research after research shows that these standardized test neither reflect ability nor determine grades in college. He further shows through research how the tests fail to predict graduation rates for students of any race.

As a deafening blow to the "reverse discrimination" claim, Wise points to the overwhelming evidence pointing not only to blacks' competence once admitted to college (that is often superior to their white counterparts with higher test scores) but to the fact that whites with lower test scores, admitted because of parent alumnus status, take far more seats from "more qualified whites" than all affirmative action admits put together. Yet, those who decry affirmative action on grounds of racial discrimination effectively ignore this fact. Even more bizarre is that it never enters the radar screen for their arguments. For if the argument against affirmative action is that unqualified blacks are admitted over their more qualified white counterparts (based on test scores), by definition, decriers of affirmative action must be infuriated by the overwhelming number of "unqualified" white admits (sons and daugthers of parent alumni) who take the seats of more "qualified" white students. After all, the alum status admits have exceedingly more priority than affirmative action admits, so much so that beneficiaries of affirmative action wouldn't even make the chart for a statistical comparison to the admission rate of children of alums. Yet, opposers of affirmative action condone this "unjust" admission policy, as if saying, as long as the "unqualified" admit is white, he/she belongs there; if he/she is black, certainly a white student should be there in his/her place. This crippling discrepancy alone shows the inherent racism, and dubious foundation, in the reverse discrimination argument itself.

As if these arguments were not compelling enough, Wise goes on to demonstrate how the recent white "reverse discrimination" plaintiffs, based on the schools' admission policies, would not have been admitted to the college of their choice, even if affirmative action were not in place. Furthermore, none of their lawyers even attempted to argue that the black student admits were not fully qualifed to be admitted...because they were, demonstrated both by admission policies that put little weight on test scores in the first place and black student graduation rates after admission.

The underlying premise of all of Wise's arguments is that there has always been a system of "affirmative action" for whites in virtually all areas of life: housing, schooling, and employment; and until this "affirmative action" ceases to be in place, the affirmative action in response to the racism plaguing this society must remain in place, not only for the benefit of blacks, but for the benefit of a just, right-thinking society at large.

Finally, Wise appeals to proponents of affirmative action by advising them to reclaim affirmative action, not through watered-down arguments calling for "campus diversity" (an argument that in itself works to keep white privilege and power structure in place) but through the need for affirmative action in the face of the continuing prevalence of white "affirmative action" that defines this nation's past and present. After all, it was in response to this racist system that affirmative action was put in practice in the first place. Thus it is on this premise, that is backed by scores of research and common sense, that this system of justice must be reclaimed in the face of white privilege.