How to Educate an American: The Conservative Vision for Tomorrow’s Schools,
by Michael J. Petrilli and Chester E. Finn Jr.,

Becoming a Transformational Leader: A Guide to Creating Equitable Schools
by Carolyn M. Shields, Routledge, New York, N.Y., 2020, 222 pp., $120 hardcover, $35.95 softcover

In Becoming a Transformational Leader, Carolyn M. Shields, a professor of educational leadership at Wayne State University, is very clear about the way conditions are in some American schools: implicit bias, deficit thinking, marginalized students and their families, white privilege and modern-day oppression.

But she also unpacks what conditions could be when school leaders promote equity, ensure social justice, and incorporate in their schools inclusive and restorative practices that promote democracy.

Most importantly, she articulates a path to transform schools that incorporates critiquing, deconstructing, and working to transform the structural and societal inequities present in some schools. This requires those with power to accept their responsibility to become agents of transformation and work to fulfill the democratic purposes of public schooling.

A clear roadmap is described incorporating eight interdependent tenets, resulting in an action plan. A variety of downloadable e-resources are included, such as links to web sites, exercises to use with staff, examples of current initiatives from practitioners (including a chapter written by a current principal), discussion and writing prompts, and questions for individual reflection.

This book does not mince words. This work will not be easy. But if you and your staff are ready and have the moral courage to move decisively to create schools as safe and caring places in which all students feel welcome, included, and respected, this book is for you. 

Reviewed by Ronald S. Thomas, interim chair, Instructional Leadership and Professional Development Department, Towson University, Baltimore, Md.

Die with Zero: Getting All You Can From Your Money and Your Life
by Bill Perkins, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston, Mass., 2020, 240 pp. with index, $27 hardcover

In Die with Zero: Getting All You Can From Your Money and Your Life, Bill Perkins has created a professionally written piece that challenges conventional wisdom about how to conceptualize one’s life, especially from a financial standpoint. It is a bit repetitive, although readers will certainly remember his guiding principles. 

Perkins’ basic premise is that everyone should die with zero in their financial accounts. He does admit that that is an almost impossible expectation to reach as humans do not come with an exact expiration date.

The author wants to save people from “over-saving” and “under-living.” He does not believe in saving for retirement beyond the minimum to survive nor in giving large inheritances when you die. He goes through all the strawmen like saving for possible medical expenses in the future by suggesting that “…either the government will pay for it or you will die” (p. 58). With this viewpoint, Perkins misses the reality of the growing longevity of the population almost entirely. He advocates giving the money from your possible inheritance to your family and charities now, rather than when you die. But he raises a good question: Will the kids still be alive when you die?

A valid point among his arguments is to establish balance in one’s life and to live while you are capable. Some specific examples include not being able to physically go on vacations or engage in activities which require some physical exertion as one ages. Perkins does recognize that improved health improves everything, but the 55-year-old seems to think good health disappears as one moves toward the age of 70 and beyond.

In the author’s world, experiences are more valuable than money. He presents several means of planning noteworthy activities, particularly with others. He proposes that each person should know when to stop growing his or her wealth; “Our culture’s focus on work is like a seductive drug. The poison becomes the medicine — that’s nuts!” (p.168). His final anti-money proposition is that he has never seen anyone’s net worth on their tombstone. 

School administrators are advised that this book offers a useful perspective on how to approach thinking about the last third of one’s life.

Reviewed by Art Stellar, former superintendent, Hingham, Mass.