Teaching Amidst the Neon Palm Trees

Rating:
Summary: Sad but True
Review: Albert Einstein once said that great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. This may very well be the case of Lee Ryan Miller.

While reading "Teaching Amidst the Neon Palm Trees" I found myself turning page after page, willing to discover more. It was as if I was reading an exciting thriller. Yet this is no fiction. This is what an innovative and enthusiastic young lecturer had to go through just because he was honoring his profession and giving the country the best possible service.

Lee Miller is not that important in this story. People could have been named A, B and C. Dr Miller could have been a clerk in an office, a postman, a school librarian, a storekeeper or a handyman. Anyone doing anything can be innovative and energetic. Anyone can give his very best and, yes, by doing so stands out. And the nail that stands out gets pounded down. It's a true and sad story indeed. Yet the publication of such a book is extremely positive.

This is an experience that Lee Miller is sharing with the world. He is offering a story of courage that should help all those who are willing to honor their profession and inject a dose of new life into their workplace.

I recommend Lee Miller's book to those who stand out or to those who are willing to do so.

Rating:
Summary: Review of "Teaching Amidst the Neon Palm Trees"
Review: An interesting, on-the-mark read, especially for those in higher ed, and even more especially for those of us who still teach at CCSN. My comment on this book is quite simple: Some things never change. Except, of course, when they get even worse.

Rating:
Summary: Higher Education Sin City Style
Review: Join the author on a strange journey into the mismanaged world of the college system in Las Vegas. Meet the crooks that operate behind the masks of higher education, whose interest lies solely in money, power, fame, anything but education. The author's vivid and straightforward approach brings true life to these characters you'll grow to love and hate: the villainous college administrators, the corrupt student government, the cowardly colleagues, and of course the kindhearted supporters. Follow the engaging plots that intertwine into a startling conclusion. Be sad, be entertained, and be enraged. And the bonus... these are real people, real incidents, real names. Once you pick up the book and start reading, it's hard to put it down. Highly recommended to college students, professors, those who seek teaching positions in a college environment, or anyone looking for a good book to read.

Rating:
Summary: Higher Education Sin City Style
Review: What a surprise this book turned out to be. As a college student, it's hard to remember that the professor assigning you hours of reading per night is a person as well. Dr. Miller shows that graduating from esteemed universities, genuinely caring for one's work and students, and working hard to provide the best education possible for one's students doesn't guarantee a cakewalk. Dr. Miller offers great insight into the world of red tape, hierarchy, and corruption that often times is college administration.
Dr. Miller shares his trials of finding work, even with degrees as prestigious as his, opening his mind to new and different students and lifestyles (see the chapter titled The Ferengi, The Garbage Picker, and The Stripper), and coping with being an innovative, caring professor in a world of greed, deceit, and bizarre behavior.
Teaching Amidst The Neon Palm Trees proves that there are still people who are willing to go the extra mile for their students, and stand up for what is right. As a future teacher, Dr. Miller has inspired me to work hard for my students, try new things as a teacher, and fight corrupt administration. It may be true that no good deed goes unpunished, but sometimes the bad deeds get punished too.

Rating:
Summary: Review of "Teaching Amidst the Neon Palm Trees"
Review: While studying for my various degrees, I recall many of my professors lamenting the stressful politics associated with being untenured professors. It wasn't until reading Dr. Miller's book that I fully comprehend -- empathized with -- their laments. Dr. Miller's honest account of his expreinces as a teacher in the Las Vegas Community College system is an amazing tale of good verses evil that delightfully holds a reader's attention for hours. It's a story of the sad truth of our educational system eroding away to where meritocracy is punished and mediocrity is encouraged. This is a surprisingly interesting story, perhaps becasue we all have at one time or another experienced similar struggles with dishonest men and had to wrestle with how to maintain our personal integrity and how far we are willing to fight. I highly recommend the book to all readers, but especially to those in the teaching professions. Good job, Dr. Miller. Good job!!!

Rating:
Summary: Teaching Amidst the Neon Palms Trees
Review: While studying for my various degrees, I recall many of my professors lamenting the stressful politics associated with being untenured professors. It wasn't until reading Dr. Miller's book that I fully comprehend -- empathized with -- their laments. Dr. Miller's honest account of his expreinces as a teacher in the Las Vegas Community College system is an amazing tale of good verses evil that delightfully holds a reader's attention for hours. It's a story of the sad truth of our educational system eroding away to where meritocracy is punished and mediocrity is encouraged. This is a surprisingly interesting story, perhaps becasue we all have at one time or another experienced similar struggles with dishonest men and had to wrestle with how to maintain our personal integrity and how far we are willing to fight. I highly recommend the book to all readers, but especially to those in the teaching professions. Good job, Dr. Miller. Good job!!!