Leadership in American Academic Geography The Twentieth Century [Hardcover]

While DeVivo provides a solid investigation of the history of geography programs, his analysis of academic leadership is what makes this book unique.... The book is a lively read.... The readability of this book makes it readily accessible to both undergraduate and graduate students in geography. I think it crucial that geography students be aware of the history of our discipline. This book is a mixture of excellent research and intriguing stories that provide a treatise that explains not only paradigm shifts in the discipline but also uncovers the leadership at the center of these shifts. The book also is valuable for current or aspiring department chairs. Not only does it provide a historical reference to past administrative practices, but the inclusion of the transformative model of leadership could provide a model of practice for those department chairs who seek to move programs forward within a supportive and inclusive environment. Leadership in American Academic Geography: The Twentieth Century provides the scholar of geographic thought an insightful testament to our disciplines past. I hope the author has subsequent plans for additional books.The book tackles an important issue in the disciplines history, to which very little structured attention has yet been given.Viewed through the lens of James McGregor Burns concepts of transformational and transactional leadership models, DeVivo details how transformational leaders made the difference in top-tier American geography doctoral departments. Here we have a vivid page-turner for anyone interested in geographical thought and practice in the United States, and the consequences of individualism and group dynamics flowing from leadership in the doctoral departments that dominated the discipline during the past century.This groundbreaking study of select geographers and their departments offers a treasure trove of anecdotes and insights into the inner workings of a discipline in formation. The author spares neitl#»