If you are batting for the intelligent, renewist and compassionate approach to student learning you are in the same team as Linda DarlingHammond, Richard Elmore, Raymond Barth, Linda Lambert and others, and you will enjoy this book.

The principal as a professional development leader is a new way of looking at the principal's role. This approach re-states teachers' professionalism. The hegemony of the blighted concept instructional leadership is predicated on the now dated view of the mythical hero principal who almost single handedly turns around failing schools. Far better to have a collaborative, shared leadership that builds on and strengthens teachers' professional skills and knowledge.

The difficulty in bringing about long-term change in schools has re-focussed attention on teachers' professional learning. A feature of this book is the "big-picture" thinking such as the nine components of professional development and the evaluation rubric (Table 2.1) which have international appeal.

This book is an excellent mix of theory and good practice, and will provide some of the best professional learning that most principals will undertake this year.

Corwin Press is to be congratulated also for its quality publications and support for education.