College and University Books

Well written and well documented. This is a fascinating look at the collsion of two cultures. For far too long these events were overlooked.

This collection of short stories, told in the first-person voice, follows the life of the narrator over the span of a decade or so as she confronts the challenges of middle age and the perennially renewed question, "Who am I?" Life, these stories seem to say, is never settled, and much can depend on how the small incidents of daily life turn out. Jenny, the central figure of these stories, finds herself sorting out questions of sexual preference, single life in the wake of a long-gone marriage, relations with grown children, the fragility of friendships and friends, and the bodily insults of the passage of time; she rises to every challenge to discover anew that life not only goes on, but holds deeply satisfying rewards.
Wendy Fairey has a wonderful gift for shaping events into stories; she has an expert narrative style and a keen ear for the telling phrase. Readers will respond to the questions raised and the answers proposed by these stories; they will respond also to the author's affirmative voice, stylish prose, and observant eye. This is a fine book.

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.

When it comes right down to it there is just nothing better than Saturdays in the Fall and settling in to watch a day full of college football. The spectacle...the tradition...it is unlike any other sport. One university that just screams tradition is Oklahoma. The Sooners have been one of those perennial powerhouses for decades and Triumph Books gives them their just tribute in Game Day: Oklahoma Football, another in their fantastic line of books spotlighting college footballs most famous programs. The book highlights OU's rich tradition and pageantry, it's great games, coaches, players, and moments, not to mention the Sooner Schooner, first introduced in 1964. Read all the lyrics to"Boomer Sooner" and "Oklahoma"!

Oklahoma boasts four Heisman Trophy winners and over a hundred and forty All-Americans, OU has been blessed with some of college footballs greatest players including Brian Bosworth, Keith Jackson, Steve Owens, Greg Pruitt, Lee Roy Selmon, Billy Sims, and my favorite Sooner Joe Washington. It was Washington who inspired me to spray paint my cleats purple when I was in high school as he had painted his silver.

When you talk OU coaches you have to start with the great Bud Wilkinson who won over 80% of his games and amassed an NCAA 47 game winning streak and three national championships. Barry Switzer would equal Wilkinson with three championships of his own in 1974, 1975, and 1985. The OU program struggled in the 1990's until Bob Stoops arrive and restored the glory in 1999, winning the national title in 2000. The book takes you on a journey through all of Oklahoma's championship seasons.

Relive some of the Sooners' greatest games including the 1971 "game of the century" against archrival Nebraska, the 1993 thrashing of Texas, the 25 - 10 pasting of Penn State in the 1986 Orange Bowl, and the 1977 last second win over Ohio State in 1977.

This beautiful hardcover book features stunning phtography that puts you right on the field of play! The great rivalries against Nebraska, Tesas, and Oklahoma State and comments from former players round out another enjoyable edition from Triumph Books. A true testament to the greatness that is Oklahoma football!

Reviewed by Tim Janson

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.