This is an essential book for anyone interested in education. Its comprehensive coverage gives much background, even at the risk of being distracting when you want to follow-up on the leads to so many interesting source-books and links. Though you are told to dip in anywhere, you must read the first section, esp. "The Industrial Age System of Education" by Senge and "A Primer to the Five Disciplines" (Personal Mastery, Mental Models, Shared Vision, Team Learning and Systems Thinking) (pp. 27-93).

The authors consider this book a "prequel" to their other books about learning organizations (p.7). That's true. Though this is the most recent book, you can start with this one and go on to the others for further depth. Some repetitions may only serve well for mastery.

The whole book is very readable and informative. Concepts are clearly explained. It follows the same excellent editing format as The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook and The Dance of Change.

When you get too enthused by so many ideas and success stories of innovations, heed the advice for "The Strategy of Organizational Change". "Focus on one or two new priorities for change, not twelve. Most school systems are already overwhelmed with change. They don't need a new initiative; they need an approach that consolidates existing initiatives, eliminates "turf battles," and makes it easier for people to work together toward common ends." (p.25)

There are just too many passages that you wish to quote. The book is a treasure mine. However, for those (esp. busy administrators) who find the volume too daunting or verbose (592 pages!) and still want to get a handle on launching into transforming their schools into learning organisations, I would recommend, "Ten Steps to a Learning Organization" and start with the simple questionnaire given there.

If you are an educator, parent or administrator, this handbook will enable you to obtain the crucial, leading edge knowledge in learning styles, multiple intelligences, personal neuro-physiology that enables one to "know thyself." Self-esteem and self-awareness, cognitive learning, including the necessary skills to make one prepared for "life at 21 years old," are also main considerations when teaching students to capitalize on their individual strenghts and wisdom.

Schools that Learn also emphasizes the importance of mastery, synergizing curricula presented, and authentic assessment vs. basing students knowledge purely on standardized test-taking.

This helpful manual is extremely important for educators, administrators, and parents, to read as it combines the aforementioned information and applies it to "building strengths that will be useful in career decision making."

Finally,Schools that Learn emphasizes the importance of keeping a "spirit-filled" outlook while learning, the extreme helpfulness of a mastermind group, accelerated and lifelong education, and of course giving back what you have learned to the community. This "cause and effect" is often forgotten in busy professtional lives, but truly ensures success for those who "get it."

SCHOOLS THAT LEARN is both a visionary and practical guide for how schools must evolve to meet the needs of students in the next 20 years. The use of multiple authors and perspectives mirrors some of the changes our schools must make to meet the needs of a new age. As Professional Development Director at a diverse Jesuit high school in San Francisco, I recommend this book to any educator, K-college. Senge's work will help prepare students for an era requiring a strong traditional academic foundation coupled with the need for creativity, and the social, emotional, and intellectual skills to work in high performing teams needed to rebuild our world.

This book puts all the rumors to rest on why the Beatles split up. No, it wasn't Yoko that did it -- although she didn't help matters any. No, it wasn't Paul and the Eastman's -- although they added fuel to the fire. And, no, it wasn't Allen Klein. It was Apple Records.

The Beatles were recording artists, not businessmen. This book points out how the Beatles let their artistic tastes interfer with running a company. Moreover, the book discusses how the Beatles attempted to swat away hostile takeovers.

This book suggests that because the Beatles got caught up in corporate politics, business ventures, and other financial endeavors, they lost touch with the art that made them famous. This became evident when Paul McCartney clandestinely purchased stock in the Beatles' businesses. Hence, McCartney got controlling interest. This started the mistrust among the Beatles. Here, at Apple Corps, is where the friendship among the four Beatles started to fall apart. By the time the Beatles started to record the tracks to Abbey Road / Let it Be in January, 1969; their friendship hit rock bottom. Yoko's pressence just fanned the flames of mistrust.

The book also points out that recording artists should leave the management of their recording companies to professionals. In Apple's case, the Beatles picked their friends to run the business for them. Unfortunately, their friends weren't oriented toward business. In essence, Apple was a business endeavor doomed to failure from the start.

No doubt about it; Apple Records was rotten to the core. Poor management, less than honest employees, and false friends eventually ran Apple to the ground. Unfortunately, these same three causes of Apple's failure also became the very core reason why the Beatles broke up.

I feel that this book is inadequte for students and professionals alike. It does not explain well how systems act in real life situations, like most academia books

I work in the chemical operations sector. I will highly recommend this book for 3rd or 4rth year future chemical engineers. It contains viable information on many units that they will just have to know about. However, I will not recommend it for working operation engineers. It is too general for us, it doesn't problem shoot units such as pumps and compressors. I don't think that I have much use for this book, specially that I own the Perry's Handbook.

it is the best books i have ever read in my semester ofchemical engineering. the topic i like the most, is transportation offluids .this book is recommended by my professor. the matter of turbulent flow and laminar flow is just fantastic.

thank you!