Reader Review
M. A. Beattie, MBA
Doctoral Candidate in Leadership Studies
Gonzaga University
My mom gave me a copy of U.N.I.Q.U.E. when it was first coming onto the market. Leadership Studies are an area of research for me and I am also an avid gardener, so she felt the metaphor of a Leadership Garden was a natural fit. She was right in many ways.
After getting into the book, I realized there may be some potential for use in a leadership class. Along the same time, my church was proposing a Community Garden to grow produce for the local food bank. Likewise, the university where I am getting my doctorate from and where I instruct was interested in enhancing Service-Learning opportunities.
A class was soon born using this book as a text that provides a focused journaling exercise for the students. This is coupled with coursework in global food issues such as water scarcity, climate change, Genetically Modified foods, and other topics. These are matched with exposure to local activists in each of these areas like organic farmers, farmer’s market associations, and hunger activists. It seeks to make the “think globally, act locally” connection in a very real way with the personal empowerment to make a difference.
I highly recommend Debra’s book because of its readability and its multiple applications both within and outside the classroom.
