This charming book captures the author's reflections on teaching a U.S. history course to undergraduates at Emory University. With a friendly intimacy, he invites the reader into his classroom, offering a rare glimpse into one of the most closely guarded spaces of the academy. Course mechanics are presented sequentially, from preparing the syllabus to writing the final exam. Into this chronology the author weaves vignettes drawn from the classroom, relevant content from the subject matter to help frame his descriptions of the classes, and encounters with students in his office. An underlying theme is the effort to be helpful while keeping an appropriate distance from his students' personal lives. The true richness of this book comes from the generosity with which Allitt shares his thinking behind the ongoing process of evaluating and adjusting the course in response to the abilities and needs of the particular students while retaining his commitment to cover the full spectrum of content laid out in the syllabus. A wonderful model for anyone seeking guidance on the craft of teaching in higher education; highly recommended for academic libraries.-Jean Caspers, Linfield Coll., McMinnville, OR Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.