pared) or in their workplace upon graduation. If they are familiar with this book it can put them in a good position to understand the work environment of the 2 1 st century.-Shelley Phipps, University of Arizona Library, ncson, AZ 85721 <sephipps@ bird.library.arizona. edu>.

Improving the Environment for Learning: Academic Leaders Talk about What Works, by Janet Donald. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1997. 287~. $29.95. ISBN 0-7879-0832-O.

The current higher education campaign to shift the emphasis from teaching to learning is all very well, but directions on how, precisely, to do that are scarce. Donald’s background as a pro- fessor of education at McGill and activist in the improvement of college teaching guided her construction of a survey of efforts to overhaul the environment for learning at four universities: Syracuse, Penn State, Northwestern, and Arizona. The result is sound advice for universities that are serious about engaging in the challenge of improving student learning.

It is interesting to note how little is known about post-sec- ondary student learning. The author surveys the state of the field as well as the literature of student motivation. The four learning orientations (meaning, reproducing, achieving, and non-aca- demic) are reviewed, as well as four ways of student knowing (absolute, transitional, independent, and contextual). The research on learning is available for utilization by universities and faculty; the fact that it is generally ignored is explained in terms of the control of the curriculum by the professional disci- plines and an academic culture that overemphasizes research at the expense of good teaching.

Donald’s proposals include: Active learning, a focus on the intellectual development of the student (which runs counter to some disciplinary expectations), effective assessment for the improvement of teaching, and, generally, the creation of a learn- ing community. The prescriptions are the expected: Administra- tive commitment to the task (as demonstrated by the provision of additional resources); placing responsibility on departments rather than individual faculty; the development of “gateway” programs designed by faculty who teach freshmen to provide linkages and comprehension; and other proven innovations.

One can quibble with the methodology. While grounded in the literature, the narrative relies overmuch on anonymous nar- rative comments by interviewees. Instead of solid research, Donald provides anecdotal suggestions. Despite this caveat, however, the book is timely and useful and should be in collec- tions supporting the improvement of university teaching or administration programs in higher education.

For academic librarians there is a dire-though unstated- warning: Library services are conspicuous by their total absence from the discussion. There is no consideration here of any “materials-based” learning efforts, nor of information literacy, nor even of the impact of the Internet. In a long treatment of the assessment of learning outcomes there is little mention of ana- lyzing the learning process. One can question as well the omis- sion of any methods designed to address the variable “multiple intelligences” of the learner. Donald critiques the control of the curriculum by the scholarly disciplines and the lack of adminis- trative leadership regarding making learning a central institu- tional focus, but her criticism of the professorate is muted. The author seeks ways to support learning, but at heart she remains a teacher.-James W. Marcum, Director of Library Services,

University of Texas of the Permian Basin, 4901 E. Univer- sity, Odessa, TX 79762 <marcumj@utpb.edu>.

Leadership: Theory and Practice, by Peter G. Northhouse. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 1997.274~. $22.95 (paper). ISBN o-8039-5769-6.

Leadership is certainly one of the perennial topics of interest to managers, and there is no shortage of theories that attempt to explain how people are selected as leaders, and how they func- tion effectively in leadership positions. This book is a worth- while addition to the literature on leadership, not because it advances a new approach to leadership, but because it provides a simple and readable survey of the top nine traditional leader- ship theories.

After a brief introduction, the author devotes a single chapter to each of these “nine worthies,” from trait theory to psychody- namic approaches. This is a roughly chronological survey, and the chapters are structured consistently. First, there is a brief outline of the main ideas emphasized in a leadership theory, This content seems ideal for undergraduates first encountering leadership theories, but too simplistic for the researcher. Next, the strengths and weaknesses of the theory are outlined, along with its application to management.

Each chapter also includes three brief case studies that illus- trate the theory discussed in the chapter and a diagnostic instru- ment that shows students how researchers investigate leadership phenomena. The book concludes with a chapter that discusses gender differences in leadership, and another that provides a brief overview of some of the “pop” theories of leadership that are frequently influential in the thinking of managers.

One could wish for more substance in this book. Although it covers the main theories, it is silent about current leadership research. For example, it presents trait theory and the situational approach in separate chapters without noting the combination of these two approaches in current interactionist research. Sim- ilarly, the book focuses entirely on management theory, ignor- ing the major contributions of political science, sociology, and anthropology to conceptualizations of leadership, Nonetheless, it is a valuable introduction for the beginning student, or for anyone encountering leadership theories for the first time.- Bryce Allen, Associate Professor, School of Information Sci- ence and Learning Technologies, University of Missouri, 104 Stewart Hall, Columbia, MO 65211.

Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI): A Self-Assessment and Analysis, by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner. San Diego, CA: Pfeiffer & Co., 1993. 34~. ISBN 0-88390-358-X.

Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI): Observer, by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, 1993.4~. ISBN O-88390-359-8.

Leadership Practices Inventory: Trainer’s Manual, by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner, 1994. 85~. ISBN o-88390-356-3.

Instrument is marketed by Pfeiffer with The Leadership Challenge: How to Keep Getting Extraordinary Things Done in Organizations, second edition, by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner. San Francisco: Jossey Bass, 1995.405~. $59.95 (set). ISBN o-7879-01 10-5.

Self-assessment instruments are a mainstay of management training programs. They provide the opportunity for an individ-

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