Take a look at Whatever It Takes!

I am a fan of This American Life on public radio and heard a wonderful program last fall about New York Times journalist, Paul Tough, and his reporting on the remarkable leader and educator, Geoffrey Canada and the "Children's Zone" that he has created in Harlem. So I was very excited about the publication of Tough's book, Whatever it Takes: Geoffrey Canada's Quest to Change Harlem and America.
Whatever it Takes follows Geoffrey Canada -- educator, activist, and entrepreneur -- as he creates the "Children's Zone", a ninety-seven block section of Harlem dedicated to lifting a community out of poverty and joblessness through a relentless and (theoretically) seamless focus on childhood and family education. Author Paul Tough describes in detail: "Baby College," where expectant and young parents learn about child development and techniques of parental discipline; "Harlem Gems," the preschool program; and the middle school, the "Promise Academy." The ups and downs of these programs and the details of the lives they impact read as emotionally and suspensefully as any novel. And through Canada's Harlem "Children's Zone," Tough broadens his scope and provides comprehensive accounts of current research on child development, cognitive neuroscience, and educational theory. Tough is an accomplished writer, Canada and his programs are compelling subjects, and Whatever it Takes is a marvelous read. It is also one of the best books I have read about race, class, and poverty in American life.