The Education Shelf

Losing the Precious Few
Richard A. Tapia
Arte Publico Press
University of Houston
4902 Gulf Freeway, Bldg 19, Rm 100, Houston, TX 77204-2004 www.artepublicopress.com
9781558859425, $24.95, PB, 323pp

https://www.amazon.com/Losing-Precious-Few-Minorities-Engineering/dp/155885= 942X

Synopsis: With the publication of "Losing the Precious Few: How America Fai=
ls to Educate Its Minorities in Science and Engineering", Professor Richard=
A. Tapia, an academician who has created minority STEM programs, examines = issues that contribute to the lack of certain minority groups in STEM (scie= nce, technology, engineering, and math) fields, particularly Latinos and Af= rican Americans, including racism, immigration practices, educational prepa= ration, college admissions and affirmative action, insecurity, undergraduat=
e competitiveness, faculty role models, graduate school aspects, faculty hi= ring and promotion, and the lack of leadership at the national level, and s= olutions to these issues.

Critique: Informatively enhanced for the reader with the inclusion of two A= ppendices (MIT Resignation Letter; List of Students that Dr. Tapia Directed=
), twelve pages of Notes, a twenty-two page bibliography of Works Cited, an=
d a ten page Index, "Losing the Precious Few: How America Fails to Educate = Its Minorities in Science and Engineering" is an expose that will be of imm= ense interest to readers on the subject of STEM Education at the college/un= iversity level. Articulate, thought-provoking, timely, "Losing the Precious=
Few: How America Fails to Educate Its Minorities in Science and Engineerin=
g" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, c= ollege, and university library Contemporary Educational Issues collections = and supplemental curriculum reading lists. It should be noted that "Losing = the Precious Few: How America Fails to Educate Its Minorities in Science an=
d Engineering" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Richard A. Tapia (https://tapiacenter.rice.edu/who-professo= r-richard-atapia) is a mathematician and professor in the Department of Com= putational and Applied Mathematics at Rice University in Houston, Texas. He=
is internationally known for his research in the computational and mathema= tical sciences and is a national leader in education and outreach. Tapia's = current Rice positions are University Professor (only the sixth individual = afforded this title in the 100-year history of Rice University), Maxfield-O= shman Professor in Engineering, Director of the Center for Excellence and E= quity in Education, and Director of the Rice Graduate Education for Minorit= ies and Empowering Leadership Alliance Programs.

Understanding and Teaching Contemporary US History Since Reagan
Kimber M. Quinney, editor
Amy L. Sayward, editor
University of Wisconsin Press
728 State Street, Suite 443, Madison, WI 53706-1418
www.uwpress.wisc.edu
9780299339500, $39.95, HC, 28pp

https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Teaching-Contemporary-History-Goldberg= /dp/0299339505

Synopsis: Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by Kimber M. Quinney and A=
my L. Saward, "Understanding and Teaching Contemporary US History since Rea= gan" is specifically designed for classroom teachers looking for new perspe= ctives on teaching the recent past -- which is the period of US history mos=
t often given the least attention in classroom curriculums.

Unlike a traditional textbook, "Understanding and Teaching Contemporary US = History since Reagan" is comprised of a diversity of voices and approaches =
to teaching a field that, by its very nature, invites vigorous debate and p= uts generational differences in stark relief. Older history is likely to fe=
el removed from the lived experiences of both teachers and students, allowi=
ng for a certain dispassion of perspective. By contrast, contemporary histo=
ry creates unique challenges, as individual teachers and students may think=
they know "what really happened" by virtue of their personal experiences.

The contributors to "Understanding and Teaching Contemporary US History sin=
ce Reagan" collectively addresses a wide swath of topics ranging from socia=
l movements around identity and representation to the Supreme Court, to law=
enforcement, migration, climate change, and international relations.

Emphasizing critical thinking and primary-source analysis, "Understanding a=
nd Teaching Contemporary US History since Reagan" will aid teachers in crea= ting an invigorating and democratizing classroom experience. Intended for u=
se in both secondary and postsecondary classrooms, the structure of "Unders= tanding and Teaching Contemporary US History since Reagan" allows for a var= iety of applications and invites a broad audience.

Critique: Exceptionally well organized and presented, "Understanding and Te= aching Contemporary US History since Reagan" is comprised of fifteen erudit=
e contributions deftly organized into two main sections: Within the Borders=
of the United States & Beyond the Borders of the United States. Informativ=
e enhanced with the additional inclusion of an informative introduction (Te= aching Contemporary History since Reagan), a complete listing of the contri= butors and their credentials, and a thirteen page Index, "Understanding and=
Teaching Contemporary US History since Reagan" is an ideal and recommended=
addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library Americ=
an History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note #1: Kimber M. Quinney is an assistant professor of history a=
t California State University, San Marcos. Specializing in the convergence =
of ethnicity, immigration, and domestic politics in the making of US foreig=
n policy. she is also an advisor to aspiring history-social science teacher=
s. (https://www.conviviosociety.org/team-convivio/kimber-m-quinney-phd)

Editorial Note #2: Amy L. Sayward (https://www.mtsu.edu/faculty/amy-l-saywa= rd) is a professor of history at Middle Tennessee State University. She is = also the author, coauthor, or editor of several books, including The United=
Nations in International History and Tennessee Histories.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

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James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
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James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review

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