Teacher

"Edmundson's message of the world-changing importance of good high school teaching is more than ever one we need to hear. It's rarely delivered with such passion, good humor and sympathy." --The New York Times Book Review

"Wonderfully clear-eyed about the pains and pleasures of learning . . . One of the more inspiring days at school in recent memory." --San Francisco Chronicle

"A testimony to the magic that can occur . . . when the right teacher meets a receptive student." --The Christian Science Monitor

"A brilliant memoir, smart, vividly dramatic, and wry." --Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air

"One of the best traits of Teacher is the author's honesty. . . . By the book's end, it's a good bet a reader might think, 'Hey, I wouldn't mind taking a class from that guy.' That's about the highest praise a teacher can get." --San Jose Mercury News

"Chockablock with wit, detail, and surprisingly clear-eyed memory. . . Powerful." --Entertainment Weekly

"Rich with metaphoric prose and inlaid with lovely storytelling. . . . Brings to mind Robert Coles's memorable writing about Perry Miller." --The Washington Post

"An affectionate but unsentimental homage. . . We are taken on a compelling journey down the corridor of that most perilous and fateful of institutions-the American high school. A terrific book." --Billy Collins, Poet Laureate and author of Sailing Around the Room

"Masterfully demonstrates the power of one man's belief in the power of ideas to change lives." --The Charlotte Observer

"We suspect it happens every day, but not often enough. . . A teacher makes a difference. Finally, here is the testimonial we are looking for. . . Hurrah to Mr. Lears and thanks to Mark Edmundson for validating the dream." --Tampa Tribune

"A poignant memoir, a self-analysis that shares revelations and insights that widely apply to those gawky teenage years, and the liberation that comes from intellectual awakening." --Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"A touching tribute. . . A humorous, vivid recollection of friends, teammates, and antagonists who accompanied [Edmundson] through high school in the '60s. . . Sure to resonate deeply with readers." --BookPage

"A worthwhile read. . . Teacher is written in two voices: Edmundson as a high school student and as an accomplished academic. . . [He] weaves these two conversations into a thoughtful and engaging memoir." --Rocky Mountain News