College and University Books

This is a well researched book that provides many step-by-step instructions in a manner that is easy and enjoyable to read. This book was used in a "How to get into grad school" seminar in the Psychology department at my undergrad university. Now, two years into my clinical doctoral program, the information in this book rings increasingly true as I have served as student representative for our clinical appplication process. My copy of the book is now tattered from loaning it to all of my friends with advanced interests in the field who inquire about graduate school. While its no substitute for hard work and persistence, this book will help you market yourself to the best of your ability. I cannot recommend this book enough!

I bought this book several years ago and it has provided me with a great deal of insight into the graduate school process. I highly recommend this book for any one interested in graduate psychology programs. The author has helpful insight for every stage of the graduate school process.

This publication is a complete, comprehensive disaster planning and management program focused toward the college and university administrative structure that is a MUST HAVE set of tools for every college and university risk management department.

The author provides step-by-step guidance through the process of developing and implementing a comprehensive disaster management plan tailored to the unique requirements of each institution. Beginning with the recognition of the need for planning, continuing through the requirements for upper management commitment, collection of data, risk and impact analysis, development of crisis and continuity of operations plan(s), to implementation of the program including training and exercising the plan, the author leads the user in a logical manner. Included are sample plans and recommendations for preparation for and response to natural and man-made disasters and crises.

Wow! This is a very useful set of materials. As a higher education risk manager, that has participated in the management response to a variety of exigent events and collaborated in development and implementation of crisis and BCP plans on several campuses, I found the templates & supporting documents, including the extensive editorial notes, to be practical and workable in the unique environment of colleges and universities.
Those institutions just starting will benefit from the editorial guidance as well as from the templates. Institutions with existing plans will benefit from benchmarking against the recently introduced NFPA 1600 standards.

This is an amazing book--you get all the best of nonfiction, and not just some little area some scholar or writer thinks is creative nonfiction. Roorbach is inclusive without being soft-the selections are just great writing, some of it shocking, even. And his introductions are so smart, funny, and on the money. I first got the book for a class--but it changed my life and my reading habits utterly. Enjoy!

In the murky, amorphous zone of writing known as creative nonfiction, there's a lot of room for interpretation and blind groping. Roorbach's book not only defines and provides careful guidelines for the main types of creative nonfiction, but also explains how to read them for criticism and enjoyment and includes essays from huge literary names that readers will know and find accessible. Just having the mysticism removed from this often sidestepped genre made the book worth the purchase; I am now comfortable making comments and evaluating creative nonfiction. It's invaluable for students and teachers alike as well as those who just like a good read.

I was astonished to find that no customer has written a review of this excellent book. It ranks near the top of World War II histories, up there with Shirer's Rise & Fall of the Third Reich and Churchill's memoirs. This book doesn't cover the war itself; rather, it is a detailed (1000 pages) political & diplomatic history of the 1930's in Europe, culminating in the Munich conference in 1938 in which France & Britain surrendered Czechoslovakia's vital border defenses to "appease" Hitler in a vain attempt to secure "peace in our time." Hitler, strengthened by Munich, started the war 11 months later. A lawyer & historian, Taylor was a prosecutor at the Nurnberg war crimes trials. In his absorbing narrative, he tells the story of the craven cowardice & stunning stupidity of the French & British leaders and the cunning & mendacity of Hitler & Mussolini. As Taylor shifts the spotlight from country to country and details the domestic political situation in each and the moves of each leader on the diplomatic chessboard, the tension builds as events move toward the tragic climax at Munich. The corrupt bargain struck by Daladier & Chamberlain with Hitler & Mussolini at Munich was the biggest diplomatic sellout & disaster of all time. Taylor has written the definitive history of this disgraceful episode. Some European leaders today would profit from reading this work.
This book won the National Book Critics Circle Award for non-faction. It's a rivetting narrative, but it's not beach reading.

I was astonished to find that no customer has written a review of this excellent book. It ranks near the top of World War II histories, up there with Shirer's Rise & Fall of the Third Reich and Churchill's memoirs. This book doesn't cover the war itself; rather, it is a detailed (1000 pages) political & diplomatic history of the 1930's in Europe, culminating in the Munich conference in 1938 in which France & Britain surrendered Czechoslovakia's vital border defenses to "appease" Hitler in a vain attempt to secure "peace in our time." Hitler, strengthened by Munich, started the war 11 months later. A lawyer & historian, Taylor was a prosecutor at the Nurnberg war crimes trials. In his absorbing narrative, he tells the story of the craven cowardice & stunning stupidity of the French & British leaders and the cunning & mendacity of Hitler & Mussolini. As Taylor shifts the spotlight from country to country and details the domestic political situation in each and the moves of each leader on the diplomatic chessboard, the tension builds as events move toward the tragic climax at Munich. The corrupt bargain struck by Daladier & Chamberlain with Hitler & Mussolini at Munich was the biggest diplomatic sellout & disaster of all time. Taylor has written the definitive history of this disgraceful episode. Some European leaders today would profit from reading this work.
This book won the National Book Critics Circle Award for non-faction. It's a rivetting narrative, but it's not beach reading.

Dr. Allen Sack is my professor at the University of New Haven currently. He always talked about his book in class, and he never made us buy this book, but I just had to buy it to see what he was talking about. This book really gives you a great point of view of what's like to be a athlete in college during the 1960's compared to nowadays. Dr. Sack is a great professor and this book makes him a great author too.

This book is poignant, shocking, and true.

I've read over a dozen books on the problems of college athletes and college athletics and all the hypocrisy and failed attempts to solve these problems.

What makes this book so fascinating is that it's not a dry study or philosophical discussion. This book is first-hand information. The author actually was a superlative football player at Notre Dame, who turned down an offer from the pros, and immediately entered graduate school and obtained his Ph.D.

Dr. Sack has devoted his professional life to the pursuit of the purity of amateur athleticism in college sports. You won't believe the obstacles he has encountered -- and overcome -- in becoming a true expert on the subject.

If you could own only one book about the power and politics of college athletics and how they have literally taken control over the NCAA, college presidents, athletic directors, coaches, boosters, players, and even the court system, GET THIS BOOK. You will see an old-boys' network that got started over a half century ago, and has created and nurtured a monster that is out of control -- and out of view of almost every fan in the country.

What's in this book, you will never see on ESPN or the mainstream media (sports or otherwise), who genuflect at the cash cow of college sports and refuse to upset the gravy train. If you think that entire major college sport dynasties can't come crashing down overnight -- and the wrecking crew may already be in Washington, D.C. -- GET THIS BOOK.

Bluntly, there is an incredible amount of hype and glitter to college sports. From outward appearances, it seems so strong, so vibrant, so pervasive. Closer inspection shows it's rotting from within and its influence is ruining the lives of college athletes. Dr. Sack doesn't just give you the problems, he gives you the solution, and that clarion call may be the only salvation for college athletics.

For those of you getting ready to crack open the books and study for the SAT's, I suggest reading this book first. I just took the SAT's and found this book, the study tips and practice tests to be very helpful. I also liked the format.

Very well plan and presented material. Helped me a lot. Thanks.

If your chances of getting your child to study in advance for the SATs is minimal, this is the book for you. I examined many SAT Prep books, and this one offered the "condensed" version of what all the others included. For a quick review, it's great, and certainly less expensive that other prep products.

This book basically teaches you how to guess and what to do when you don't know the concept. They don't teach concepts like Barrons and Kaplan. No practice reviews. Only worthless tips and easy weak practice tests. I've got 800 in math and 700 in verbal with this book. This book has the worst practice tests. With Barrons, i got 700 Math and 550. With Kaplan, i got 780 math and 620 verbal. When i took my real SATs, I got 780 math and 640 verbal. So therefore this book sucks. I prefer Barrons SAT I Math Workbook for Math and Kaplan SAT Verbal Workbook for Verbal.

Frank Rhodes was a distinguished leader of higher education when he led Cornell. He set standards of excellence for institutions but equally he set standards that other presidents should follow - without personal agrandizement.

He argues that this book is addressed to the AAU (American Association of Universities - the 50 top research universities) members - but that is not accurate. What he does in a concise and readable text is explain two things. First, he explains several issues that higher education rarely is able to explain in clear terms. Yet, he does it with grace and elegance. Second he offers a list of changes that would make higher education an even more important resource.

If you are interested in higher education governance or finances or the contributions of research from universities - this is a good book for you. If you want to understand the role of the faculty, again this is a good resource.

Steve Sample's book on Contrarian Leadership - is also excellent but focussed more on the leader. This covers, both leaders and institutions, without flinching from the tradition of shared governance. Compared to the post presidential books like Derek Bok's book on Affirmative Action or Jim Duderstadt's book on leadership - Rhodes book is much more useful and much more concise.

Frank Rhodes' book should be purchased by every educator concerned about the future of higher education in this nation. This book cuts through 200 hundred years of ivory tower mentality and reminds educators that if higher education is not revolutionized soon, it will be replaced. Rhodes quotes noneother than the prescient Peter Drucker, who believes that, "Thirty years from now the big university campuses will be relics...Universities won't survive. It's as large a change as when we first got the printed book...Already we are beginning to deliver more lectures and classes off-campus via satellite or two-way video as a fraction of the cost. The college won't survive as a residential institution. Today's buidlings are hopelessly unsuited and totally unneeded...I consider the American research university of the last 40 years to be a failure. The great educational needs of tomorrow are not on the research side, but on the learning side." To back up what he believes, Rhodes examined 125 major research universities and offers a blueprint for a future where learning is truly universal and useable. This is a profound book that is a must replacement to the 40 year-old, The American College and University: A History, a tome that has been used to train higher education administrators. Rhodes' views, while controversial, are refreshingly presented in a fast-paced and delightful book.

Henderson's publication, "Crisis Management Protocols for Colleges & Universities: A Crisis Management Template", provides a complete framework for creating a functional crisis management system in a college or university. The protocols and templates are provided in a "fill in the blanks" format on CD-ROM which can be easily modified to fit the needs of an individual institution. The unique feature of this publication is that it is specifically designed for an institution of higher learning and the distributed management systems that are found in most colleges and universities. The templates address the financial, facilities, security, public relations, information technology, environmental health and safety, human resources, business services, student health services, student affairs/housing/residential life, academic affairs, library/museum, and athletics requirements in the context of the needs of the administration, the faculty, the students, the parents, and the community. Templates are included for each of the reasonably anticipated crisis and hazardous events, natural or human induced.

Author's Comments

In the academic world, the Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) is logically focused on continuing or rapidly restoring academic and research operations after an emergency event. Often there is little attention paid to emergency steps that should be taken immediately before, during and immediately after a disaster event. This is the area where the Crisis Management Protocols for Colleges & Universities: a Crisis Management Template on CD - ROM can help.

In an actual disaster the most important goals initially are the preservation of life, maintaining a safe environment and protecting physical assets. Only after these steps have been accomplished can normal and critical activities continue or be restored. In this way the Crisis Management Protocols for Colleges & Universities: a Crisis Management Template on CD - ROM is designed to work with and not to replace the COOP.

The Crisis Management Protocols for Colleges & Universities: a Crisis Management Template on CD - ROM details the action steps to be taken by the Emergency Response Team (ERT) and the University Incident Commander (or ERT Team Leader). The action steps are defined in a concise format and are organized by the type of disaster. This approach makes the template easy to use during an actual emergency situation.

The Crisis Management Protocols for Colleges & Universities: a Crisis Management Template on CD - ROM also contains templates for distribution to faculty, staff and students. Often faculty, staff and students are provided with emergency response information in a piecemeal manner. Sometimes only Facility Evacuation procedures are addressed and other important procedures may be missed - How does the organization communicate a Shelter-in-Place? What actions does everyone take and what actions are not to be taken during a Shelter-in-Place? What do we do if the country is under a terrorist attack? What are the communication procedures before, during and after an emergency? The Crisis Management Protocols for Colleges & Universities: a Crisis Management Template on CD - ROM addresses these and many more questions in a concise easy to read and understandable format.

This book is a breath of fresh air, a desperately needed antidote to the secularism of the modern academy. In clear, elegant, passionate prose, Sommerville makes his case for why religious discourse needs to take place in the academy again, and not just in terms of what people actually believe, but through the use of religious concepts, such as morality, human transcendence, purpose, etc. as applied even to the most secular bastions of inquiry, including science, history and philosophy.

For a book this short the breadth and scope of this book is amazing. Sommerville touches on human nature, the scope and character of science, religious studies, the fact/value dichotomy, all contributed to his overall case for religion in the university. It simply bristles with brilliant insights. For example, referring to the tendency to subordinate humanity to an indifferent Universe, Sommerville notes that "the fact that nature contains human beings says something about nature as well", meaning that, if nature is indifferent, and human beings are a part of nature and they care, what does that say about human beings or nature? Likewise concerning the debate over animal rights, in referrence to the title of a book by Peter Singer called "Animal Rights and Human Obligations", Sommerville observes that unless the titular roles can meaningfully be reversed to read "Human rights and animal obligations", there is no case to be made, because animals will not participate in the resulting moral discourse.

Sommerville also makes some long-overdue observations about the secular critique of Christianity. When secularists condemn the Crusades, the Inquisition and so on, they do so based upon Christian moral principles, as these events would not have been criticized in, say, the Roman Empire. It is obvious that ideas such as truth, meaning, morality, purpose, transcendence, justice, beauty, etc. have coherent and well-defined roles in the Christian discourse, whereas secular culture seems to have borrowed them wholesale from Christianity and it seems very difficult to ground them in any secular meaning whatsoever. Sommerville also pays attention to the need to recognize the different kinds of rational discourse and the necessary relativism that arises, without succumbing to post-modern incoherence.

Just from the footnotes it is clear that religious thinkers have a veritable treasure house from which to draw sound, important scholarship, including philosophers such as Charles Taylor, Alvin Plantinga, Alasdair MacIntyre, etc., historians such as Mark Noll and George Marsden, theologians like Emil Brunner and John Millbank, etc. The Father's house has many mansions indeed, which we ignore at our peril.

In all this book is inspiring and inspired. It clearly represents the culmination of a lifetime of dedicated scholarship by an eminent historian who is also a Renaissance man in the fields of philosophy, sociology and science. Secular scholars should read and be challenged. Religious scholars should read, be inspired and then be challenged to carry out Sommerville's proposed mission. This is the manifesto for religious scholarship in a secular age. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Sommerville's arguments will threaten and infuriate many, but his challenge deserves to be engaged, not dismissed or emoted against. Secularism's exclusion of religious perspectives, the book argues, undercuts the very intellectual mission of higher education broadly defined. The open-minded reader will find it a very persuasive case. Short, provocative, easy reading.