Anyone who has served on a school board or taught in a classroom has stories to tell, but few have chronicled their experiences with the candor and humor of school board president and journalism professor Howard Good in Educated Guess: A School Board Member Reflects.

School board veterans and rookies alike will identify with Good's wide-ranging tales of board service. The book provides guidance to those facing common school board issues: school violence, censorship, public speaking, budget cuts, citizen complaints, internal conflicts, and the negative image that seems to dog school boards no matter what they do.

Educated Guess is filled with insights that Good has acquired as a school board member for the past six years and as a teacher for many more. Reading the book is like listening to a sometimes wise, sometimes wise-cracking voice philosophizing about human nature as well as the nature of education.

Some of the most poignant parts of this book contain Good's reminiscences about the teachers he had while growing up. Although he doesn't spare bad teachers, he characteristically finds something positive even amid hurtful memories.

Educated Guess: A School Board Member Reflects is enjoyable, instructive, and inspirational. School board members, school administrators, teachers, and parents will be informed and invigorated by it.