Colleges and Universities Books

I really liked the book Full Court Pressure and Success is a Choice I really learned alot from those two books.

I find these books to be a great source of info when choosing a college. College Prowler really does seem to understand that picking a school is about more than just stats and rankings (though the books do have their share of raw data). You need to know whether your school is going to fit your personality and your style of learning as well, and I think they do a better job of giving you this kind of info than pretty much any other book like this.

I believe this edited volume may be the most important book written about American higher education in the last ten years. I hope the publisher reissues new editions every five to ten years because I intend to make it required reading for my doc students when I get my first teaching job. I would recommend this book not just for university administrators and higher education leaders, but for faculty in all disciplines who will be impacted by the dramatic changes outlined by the authors. My only criticism of this text is that diversity is mysteriously absent from the major themes. This is not merely a question of political correctness. Given the changing demographics of the United States, this is a rather serious omission.

Imagine a world where governing boards and trustees put institutional interests over their own; where presidents and administrators spent less time protecting the college from the petty politics and cronyism inherent in today's boards; where accreditation agencies advocated for innovation and change, as opposed to forcing colleges to stick to old structures and practices; where those same agencies actually gave the public information they could use, as opposed to hiding it. Imagine a world where faculty acknowledge the real value of tenure (academic freedom) and not view it is a shield from accountability; where colleges are not administered like horizontal plantations, but rather by flattened structures where everyone is committed to the institution's mission and input is actually used, not just listened to. Imagine a college where the focus in on authentic forms of learning, not the usual lecture-test-repeat teaching style found on most campuses; where outdated programs are eliminated to make room for innovation.

This is the higher education world Duderstadt advocates in this book. Change, however, will be an uphill battle. As an example, accreditation agencies are too committed to a system of rewarding mediocracy - virtually any college can be accredited by doing the bare minimum and the substantive results of reviews are NEVER shared with the public. Additionally, the markers of quality they use are based on outdated organizational models (which shouldn't be surprising; the people running these agencies are ancient).

Deep rooted systems that stifle innovation will be difficult to change, but the message of this book is hopeful. These systems, although already rendered irrelevant for the most part, can't exist forever in today's flattened world. In that regard, the ineffectiveness of today's current structures can be seen as a blessing - it is that ineffectiveness that will spawn a new era of innovation and change.

I enjoyed this book immensely. The history involves
life in Scotland when many felt forced to leave as
well as life in Nova Scotia where the poet settled.
There is also some genealogical information. The last
part of the book contains many examples of his poetry.
It is a well written book.

GAINING GROUND is a thorough and lucid piece of scholarship that dissects the very complex interrelation between teacher assessment, student writing, and intelletual development. The author has digested and integrated an enormous wealth of knowledge from psychology, sociology, philosophy, and linguistics. The genius of the book is in its balance of theory and research. When Haswell turns to examining issues such as gender differences in personal style, mistakes versus errors, writer's block, sentence structure, chained and unchained patterns of logic, and the plight of remedial writers, it becomes clear that he is no mere theorist or researcher but an experienced teacher dedicated to helping students learn. Because of his appreciation of the link between developmental theory and language, he is able to describe the type of class sequence, syllabus, and diagnosis that take into account the interaction of student, teacher, and environment. The opening question of the book--how can teachers measure improvement in student writing--evolves into a "transformative tale" that grapples with the larger, more complex issue: how can teachers facilitate that lasting personal change that language brings about? For me (a writing teacher of some ten years hungry for effective advice about how better to teaching writing), this study of "why" and "how" is a welcome contribution to my understanding and appreciation of teaching, language, and the field of composition. If I were asked to recommend the most important book in my own development as a teacher, GAINING GROUND would be it.

What can I say, but woderful DVD!! Well worth the purchase!! Bings out the best and worst in Ohio State Football.

Excellent perspective on Tennessee football. I bought this for my brother-in-law, who is a big UT fan. He was really jacked up when he opened it Christmas morning. It's a quality book.

College football season is my favorite time of the year. I can sit down and watch games between teams that I have absolutely no rooting interest in whatsoever and become completely caught up in the action whether it's a major conference like the Big Ten or SEC, or even a game featuring schools from the MAC conference. It's just a wonderful time of year! No one covers the college football scene like Triumph Books and Athlon Sports with one great edition after another in their Game Day series. These beautifully produced hardcover books shine the spotlight on the greatest teams in college football.

USC certainly qualifies as one of the most prestigious schools with a rich tradition of great teams, great players, and national championships. While down a bit in the 90's, USC has once again become one of the top powerhouse programs under the guidance of head coach Pete Carroll and a host of fantastic players like Carson Palmer, Reggie Bush, and Matt Leinart. USC's fantastic tradition of playing in the LA Coliseum, filled with fans, their Trojan mascots, and California Girl cheerleaders is one of the boldest in all of sports, pro or college.

The book introduces fans to the teams greatest players including Heisman trophy winners Mike Garrett (1965), O.J. Simpson (1968), Charles White (1979), Marcus Allen (1981), Carson Palmer (2002), Matt Leinart (2004), and Reggie Bush (2005). The fact that one school has captured the Heisman trophy three out of the past four years is an astounding feat! In addition to these players the book spotlights other greats like Ricky Bell, Anthony Davis, Frank Gifford, Ronnie Lott, Junior Seau, KeyshawnJohnson, and Lynn Swann.

USC boasts an equally impressive lineup of great coaches beginning with Howard Jones who won five national championships from 1925 to 1940. John Mckay is the first USC coach I recall as he resided over the fantastic era of the 60's and 70's, churning out one great tailback after another and winning three national championships. John Robinson had two stints as head coach of the Trojans from 1976 - 1982 and 1993 - 1997. While his run in the 90's is pretty forgettable, he captured two national titles in 1978 and 1979. Finally there is Carroll who restored the program to greatness winning two championships in five years as his teams lost only four games from 2002 through 2005.

The book runs down each of USC's national championships and then moves into its greatest games including the victory over Ohio State in the 1975 Rose Bowl, the defeat of Bear Bryant's #1 ranked Alabama team in 1978, and the pasting of Oklahoma in the 2005 Orange Bowl. USC's great rivalries are also covered. There's their legendary games with Notre Dame, one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports, and of course their battles with neighboring UCLA.

The book is filled from beginning to end with dynamic black & white and full color photography that truly epitomizes the awesome spectacle and pageantry of USC football. A great book for any Trojan fan and a perfect Christmas gift for the season.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

I recieved this book for Christmas and read it right away! This book has many sections that discuss famous players including Michael Jordan, Eric Montross, and Sean May! The book also discusses famous coaches, of course including the almighty Dean Smith! It talks about all the ACC and NCAA tounramnets and championships we have won! It also discusses the rivalries, of course including UNC vs. DUKE and NC State!

One thing that I really liked about the book was that it told how UNC got its colors, mascot, and name, TAR HEELS!

This is an awesome book for any Carolina fan and I really do think that true UNC fans should get this book to learn the history of their college they love so much! I hope my review was helpful to you!