Bee-Eaters (eBook)

The inside story of a maverick reformer with a take-no-prisoners management style. Hailed by Oprah as a 'warrior woman for our times,' reviled by teachers unions as the enemy, Michelle Rhee, outgoing chancellor of Washington DC public schools, has become the controversial face of school reform. She has appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, and is currently featured as a hero in the documentary 'Waiting for Superman.' This is the story of her journey from good-girl daughter of Korean immigrants to tough-minded political game-changer. When Rhee first arrived in Washington, she found a school district that had been so broken for so long, that everyone had long since given up.? The book provides an inside view of the union battles, the school closings, and contentious community politics that have been the subject of intense public interest and debate ? along with a rare look at Rhee's upbringing and life before DC. Rhee has been featured in the documentary 'Waiting for Superman' Rhee's story points to a fresh way of addressing school improvement? Addresses fundamental problems in?our current education system, and the politics of leadership The book includes an insert with photos from Rhee's personal and professional life, and an 'exit' interview that sheds light on what she's learned and where the future might take her.

---

Dr Hilary Fry's study of the bee-eaters covers all 24 species of this colourful Family, which ranges from southern Europe, Africa and the Middle East to India, China, south-east Asia and Australia.A major part of the book comprises the species accounts, with complementary colour plates of 42 species and sub-species and detailed maps depicting the geography of their evolution. In addition there are chapters on the bee-eaters' evolutionary development, their food and foraging behaviour, and relationships with apiculture; of particular interest are chapters on social and reproductive life, the role of 'helpers' at the nest, and the meaning of plumage and social distinctions between the species. The author's colour plates delight the eye and accurately portray plumage and 'jizz'. They are fully supplemented by more than 100 drawings by John Busby, capturing the essence of these birds with a rare deftness and vitality.