Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely Enthralling
Review: Mr. Esquith's anecdotes are highly informative and enlightening. As an old student of his, I appreciate his candid approach at sharing his experiences during his somewhat twenty years of teaching. I, too, had to cope with problems much like those described in his book. Mr. Esquith's ability to see the compassion and potential in all of his students, underprivileged or even abused, is quite a gift. His struggles are all too real and some have yet to be overcome. This book is a must for any dedicated teacher or parent interested in the reality of inner-city public schools.
Rating:
Summary: Running Against The Wind...
Review: Public education is synonomous with lots of negatives: low resources, poor administrators, bad teachers, low standards, failure. Especially in urban schools, it seems that few people are fighting on the side of the kids. This books offers a much more positive view of what goes on inside a classroom where students learn that "There are no shortcuts". It provides inspiration and motivation for any teacher or parent that wants to "run against the wind but are afraid of the consequences", as Rafe Esquith puts it. One of the great things about this book (there are a lot of greats, so I can only highlight a few)is that Rafe does not come across as a hero, who is perfect and never makes mistakes. His students do not always love him, and he does not always make the right decisions. But he never gives up and always goes the extra mile for his students, getting up at 4 a.m. to start the school day at 6 am, and staying until 5 or 6 pm. His students read Shakespeare, learn the guitar, and refuse to settle for mediocre standards, similar to their teacher. They learn about rent control, monopolies, and risk management. By the way, these children are sixth graders who come from an urban district in Los Angeles where families have low incomes and a weak command of the English language. I only hope that I have half the passion this man does to see his students succeed in the classroom. The books takes you through the potential obstacles that a dedicated teacher will face both in and out of the classroom. Education is a battlefield but this book will show you how one teacher got around the landmines to be that amazing, inspiring, energetic, and creative teacher that so many dream of, but few achieve. Be warned, the path isn't easy, but the one of resistance to mediocrity never is. Rafe has taken the road less traveled, and for teachers, parents, and students: "that has made all the difference".
Rating:
Summary: a magnificent book
Review: Rafe encourages many young minds to become the best they can, and he shows his experiences to help everyone who is willing to try and achieve his or her goals. I have learned a lot from this book and I will always remember the quote "there are no shortcuts." This book is amazing.
Rating: 
Summary: PLEASE NOTE from an honest " REVIEWER"
Review: Rafe Esquith teaches highly gifted students, a fact rarely mentioned by journalists and/or himself. UPDATE: No "impugning" going on here. Esquith's class consists of students who've been designated "gifted." Rafe- you do work hard. Now it's time to play fair.
Rating:
Summary: be nice. work hard.
Review: Rafe is a GREAT teacher. Great is a word I've learned not to use lightly. However, the word "great" does not even account for what i truly feel about him. Rafe has inspired me and so many others. Without him I would not be the person I am today, I don't think any of us would be. In regards to the comment about the kids being highly gifted... I don't think so.
Very few of us were what I'd call incredibly intellectual. I think it is an insult to the kids to call them "gifted". This is only because I believe their intellectual ability, their "talent" came from the time they put in to develop these traits. Rafe instilled within us a drive to go far above the ordinary. This "gifted-ness" did not come by easily. It was the result of an inspired drive and hard work. Rafe is, and will remain, the best teacher I have ever met.
Rating:
Summary: An inspiration
Review: Rafe's book is an amazing story about a man who changes the lives of hundreds of children. His book is also about a man who undergoes personal change and growth as a teacher and as a human being. "There Are No Shortcuts" won't tell you how to do math or score 1600 on the SAT, but rather gives an account about the ups and downs in life, and one man's attempt to make this world a better place to live in. Reading about this passionate teacher and his vision would be valuable to everyone and anyone --- not just teachers. He's an inspiration.
Rating: 
Summary: Overcoming Mediocrity to Achieve Academic Excellence
Review: Teaching, Rafe Esquith notes, can be one of the easiest carreers one can choose. After all, "administrators will tell you what to do. You'll be given books and told what chapters to assign the children. Veteran teachers will show you the correct way to fill out forms and have your classes line up." To top it off, workdays are short and vacations are long. However, if the teacher really cares about his students, teaching can be "one of the hardest jobs around," and the teacher will find himself battling "forces of mediocrity" which seek to prevent "even the humblest of teachers and children from accomplishing anything extraordinary." In his witty and often bitingly sardonic memoir, Esquith recounts his constant battle with the "forces of mediocrity" in the elementary school, located in a poor Los Angeles neighborhood, where he teaches, and how he has overcome these forces to lead his students to outstanding achievements. Esquith's students study algebra in the sixth grade, play Vivaldi concerti, and have even performed Shakespeare at London's Globe Theater. A sensitive man with a fanatic devotion to the teaching profession and to his students, Esquith eloquently describes the sacrifices he has made and the privations he has endured in his pursuit of academic excellence. He writes of how he learned from his mistakes and how he dealt with problems that ranged from homicidal maniacs to race riots. However, it was the "forces of mediocrity" which provided him with his most formidable obstacles. These included "bad guys" who ranged from uninspired fellow teachers and narrow-minded union officials to clueless bureaucrats and condescending plutocrats. Esquith provides teachers with useful suggestions as to how they, too, can achieve success in the classroom. These include having high expectations, choosing materials they themselves enjoy, making subject matter "thrilling, challenging and...relevant," being slow to anger, and modeling desirable behavior. Esquith describes how he chose as his own role model Atticus Finch, a prominent character in Harper Lee's novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Particularly useful for teachers are Esquith's suggestions as to how to spot and deal with the "bad guys" as well as how to find "heroes" from which to draw "energy and inspiration." Esquith's book would have been even more useful if it had focused more attention on discipline and classroom management. As Gilbert Highet wrote in his 1950 classic The Art of Teaching, one of the teacher's most difficult tasks is to "awaken understanding and appreciation of genuinely important things in what seems to be a collection of spoiled, ill-mannered boobies smirking or scowling, yawning or chattering, whose ideals are gangsters, footballers, and Hollywood divorcees." However, Esquith provides only scant attention to this issue. One wishes he had offered more tips on how to deal with what Highet described as "weaklings who need encouragement and stronglings who need direction." Yet, curiously, there are few references to disruption or behavioral problems in his account. Nonetheless, Esquith has provided educators with a valuable service by showing how one can successfully overcome the "forces of mediocrity" and achieve academic excellence. His book is readable, interesting, and inspiring and is to be recommended for teachers, parents, and anyone interested in education.
Rating:
Summary: Ignore Oldest "Review"
Review: The "reviewer" who wrote on April 26 from Los Angeles is incorrect in asserting that Rafe Esquith teaches highly gifted children, a statement that impugns the integrity of Esquith and the worth of his book. L. A. Unified provides special programs and magnet schools for the children identified as highly gifted, a quality not easy to define. While the majority of his students are "average", Rafe Esquith's special gift is his ability to provide the opportunities and motivation that elicit each child's gifts. High expectations and hard work account for their success. The book does a great job of describing the experiences leading to Rafe's beliefs and explaining what his school days are like, yet it neglects to mention that the music lessons at recess and lunch, the math tutoring before school, and the work on Shakespeare after school are open to other students at the school. No one exemplifies Rafe's catch phrases more than he: Work hard. Be nice. There are no shortcuts.
Rating:
Summary: Ignore Oldest "Review"
Review: The "reviewer" who wrote on April 26 from Los Angeles is incorrect in asserting that Rafe Esquith teaches highly gifted children, a statement that impugns the integrity of Esquith and the worth of his book. L. A. Unified provides special programs and magnet schools for the children identified as highly gifted, a quality not easy to define. While the majority of his students are "average", Rafe Esquith's special gift is his ability to provide the opportunities and motivation that elicit each child's gifts. High expectations and hard work account for their success. The book does a great job of describing the experiences leading to Rafe's beliefs and explaining what his school days are like, yet it neglects to mention that the music lessons at recess and lunch, the math tutoring before school, and the work on Shakespeare after school are open to other students at the school. No one exemplifies Rafe's catch phrases more than he: Work hard. Be nice. There are no shortcuts.
Rating:
Summary: Essential reading for teachers
Review: The book "There Are No Shortcuts" is essential reading for all teachers especially those thinking about going into the profession. The book shows the reader just what type of dedication and hard work it takes to become an accomplished teacher. Mr. Esquith uses techniques within his classroom that are founded in constructivist and moral development theories which produce successful student results. The book is touching and funny. Character's such as "Miss Megabyte" and "Inspector Irving" will be recognized by everyone associated with schools and schooling. You'll laugh out loud to keep from crying!
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