Balancing Acts The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Academic Careers

"In her gently evocative monograph, Mary Huber draws on the experiences of four scholars at major universities who have successfully engaged in 'balancing acts' through which they have been educational innovators in their classrooms, disciplines, and institutions while advancing in their respective fields, notably through securing tenure and promotion....This is a splendid book for one reason: the stories that the author, trained as a cultural anthropologist, tells about her four 'pathfinders.' In large measure, these are stories of individuals who were not only committed to research in their fields but to improving teaching and learning. To wit, when discussing how the mechanical engineering professor uses methods--and explores subject matter--outside of her field, the reader becomes acutely aware of the attendant 'risks' facing this individual...This work marks a significant contribution to that body of scholarship....this is a bloody good read, and I strongly recommend it to faculty who are deeply committed to teaching that enhances the learning of all students."

The Review of Higher Education