 Troublemaker: A Personal History of School Reform Since Sputnikreviewed by J. Wesley Null - March 24, 2009  Title: Troublemaker: A Personal History of School Reform Since SputnikAuthor(s): Chester E. Finn, Jr. Publisher: Princeton University Press, Princeton ISBN: 0691129908, Pages: 364, Year: 2008 Search for book at Amazon.com “Checker” Finn has written a memoir. Autobiographies are all the rage these days with postmodernists, so why not one from a leading proponent of Republican-led reform initiatives during the last thirty years? For those who support Finn, this book will no doubt prove enjoyable and insightful, complete with juicy details of Finn’s personal life—including how he met his wife and his somewhat rocky relationship with Lynne Cheney. For those who reject Finn’s advocacy of vouchers and market-based solutions to whatever ails American schools, Troublemaker will be an infuriating, arrogant, and disjointed text that seems to serve no purpose beyond Finn stroking his own ego. Whether or not readers agree with Finn, educators should read this book to understand how policymakers think. Especially if you don’t like Finn, I say pick it up and read it. Finn has been in the midst of just about every educational reform initiative since the early... (preview truncated at 150 words.) To view the full-text for this article you must be signed-in with the appropriate membership. Please review your options below:
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