Governance Reconsidered

Written by a former university president, Governance Reconsidered is recommended reading for college and university presidents, administrators, faculty, and trustees. Author Susan Resneck Pierce has produced a practical guide for those responsible for governance of higher education institutions. Pierce provides detailed examples of successes and failures in university and college governance. Besides making for interesting reading, Pierce uses the case studies to illustrate key principles for effective governance. She explicitly identifies the actions to be taken by presidents, faculty, and trustees to successfully lead their institutions. The book is useful and an interesting read.

How We Learn

Benedict Carey has written a readable, fascinating, and practical book about learning. In How We Learn, Carey surveys over a century of learning research and extracts lessons anyone can apply to increase learning effectiveness. Carey cites research that disproves much of what we have been taught about how to learn. Distractions, varying study routines, forgetting can all increase learning effectiveness. Much of the study advice students receive is actually wrong. Educators, students, parents, athletes, anyone needing to learn—which is all of us—will benefit from reading this book. Carey summarizes many of the findings described in the book in an appendix composed in a question and answer format. It would have been more helpful if he had outlined the learning recommendations scattered throughout the book in a more direct format. This is the only disappointment of the book. Otherwise, How We Learn should prove a valuable guide to increased learning effectiveness.