College and University Books

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.

Much in the same way that the apostles probably wouldn't have bothered to read the Bible, having heard the good word straight from the horse's (Jesus's) mouth I have yet to read this book. That said, I am at this moment taking Professor Seery's Classical Political Theory class at Pomona College, and find it scintillating. The class, not the man...i mean...ughhh...must not succumb to metrosexuality...

I think I'm going to check this book out of the library, now that I've got all worked up about it. But I recommend that you--yeah, YOU--buy it off Amazon!

America Goes to College is a strong collection of essays -- not all of which are pertain specifically to the liberal arts college life -- whose varying subject matter is a delight to read. Above all, they aim to convince us that in a world that is becoming evermore specialized and technical, liberal arts educations should not be phased out, but rather they should be encouraged. Specialization breeds separation, and in turn society is losing its common ground. Be it engineers and English profs or Democrats and Republicans or even Western capitalists and Islamic fundamentalists, the current trend pits those with different perspectives against each other and unwilling to relate. Liberal arts educations work against this problem, for they encourage dabbling in non-career related pursuits--from the physics major in the studio art class to the political theory prof playing sax in the band--and thus help to create a common forum of interaction and experience. Writes Seery:

"I want you to evangelize, I want you to spread the word. If you can't find passion and conviction about what went on here, you will never awaken to the rest of life. So hereby, starting today with you, I pronounce the next century to be the Pomona Century. You've got to make it happen. If you must, make Pomona College and liberal arts education into a religion. Let only the eager, thoughtful, and reverent leave here. This is a community of faith" (Seery 152).

More to the point, Prof. (or should it be Rev.?) Seery wants to evangelize the gospel of the Liberal Arts. In a world that is becoming more and more specialized, Seery believes in the necessity of developing well-rounded individuals who are just as capable of advancing a discussion on cell biology as they are of advancing one on Islamic fundamentalists. As Seery sees it, why not take tangents in our education? America Goes to College opts to celebrate the non-specialist rather than sneer at them, as he accuses many university scholars of doing.
As a professor of political science (and in such capacity, a self-proclaimed guardian of the liberal arts tradition), he notes that he nevertheless finds himself teaching classic texts in order institute an awareness of precedence and develop a more rounded agreement of thought. Students, explains Seery, benefit from an education that attempts to offer a more comprehensive view of the life, rather than to focus on a narrow track and ignore everything else as "not what I'm majoring in."

Particularly important, writes Seery, is the small classroom, in which student-professor dialogues, as well as student-students ones, are more apt to occur and develop. University-style lectures promote order-taking; the liberal arts education promotes the self-directing graduate, the one who is capable of taking his education, and then his life, into his own hands. The goal is of a liberal arts education is to learn the ability and understand the value of seeing the full panorama, not just the point straight ahead. In a world in which too many people increasingly carry themselves like horses with blinders over their eyes, Seery's America Goes to College is a welcome vision.

Banta was a leader in this field from the beginning. As educators continue to struggle to improve student learning, this book continues to offer ideas.

While most books about assessment focus on the concepts and principles related to assessment to the exclusion of practical advice, this book provides over 60 case studies from a variety of institutions with multiple examples of assessment in the major, general education, student development, in the classroom, and institutional effectiveness. While this is not the only book you should read or have on assessment, it is a valuable companion piece with an extraordinary set of examples.

I am surprised there are no other reviews for this book. My daughter is a senior and we have been using this book for over a year now. All but one of the colleges she has looked at is in the book. Its best feature? It describes colleges that cost a little less than the biggies - most in the range of 20-25 k including room/board. That is very important for me since we have three kids to send to college. I don't expect much financial aid so we will be on our own except for some merit money. My daughter wants a small school, not in the city. She does very well in school but is not very competitive. So this range of colleges is perfect for her. I recommend it even if you are looking at some of the more prestigious schools (some of those are in here too). The other great thing is that the description of each college is very lengthy, some are 4 pages long.

This book is very helpful. My granddaughter must be very cost conscious about where she attends college. This definitely helped her narrow her choices. It also made me aware that college costs in our state schools are much more than most other places. If you have several children to send to college, it could be a wise move to relocate! This book could help you make that kind of decision.

To be honest I want nothing to do with the SATs. But I know it's gotta be done.
But this book makes it easy to concentrate on studying.
I would recommend this to anyone who has a hard time focusing on studying.

This book really is what the title suggests. It gives you everything you need to know to prepare for the SATs, except the shortened version..which is equally as good as the full version. Plus, it's cheap!

This book should be on every university library shelf, just for starters. Written by a psychologist, who was also founder and former director of a joint two university doctoral program in Education, it is written in a warm, easy style and yet spells out in clear detail the unwritten rules of doctoral study. She states that her experience with hundreds of doctoral students as well as professors provided the inspiration for this valuable guide which is designed to help pave the way for doctoral students in any discipline. She makes explicit, in a knowing and straightforward way, the kinds of information that can make the difference in the feelings of confidence with which students can make their way through their doctoral experience. It deals with many of the 'nuts and bolts' of graduate study that many books present. However, it is her insightful knowledge about the role of personal relationships and how they effect student progression that puts the book in a special class.

This book includes more than technical assistance. It describes pursuit of a doctorate in the social sciences as an emotional journey. Most students fail, not for lack of intellectual ability, but for psychological reasons. This book describes relationships that help or hurt the student's quest. It is invaluable.

I received the books in great condition and in a reasonable time.

This is an excellent book for the Georgia Fan! I purchased one for a birthday gift, and ended up ordering another one for myself! The picures are clear and so exciting. A coffee table book lovers dream!