McGraw-Hill Companies

Why it's worth the read: Carried on over four years, trained investigators entered more than 1,000 classrooms nationwide to talk to teachers, students, administrators, parents, and other community members, resulting in A Place Called School. This book is the largest study of its kind and gives an honest account of how schools affect communities, students, and educators alike. Goodlad's The Public Purpose of Education and Schooling is also worth a read because it asks is the goal of education; it could change your idea of what it means to be educated. Read a review here.