With a title like this, and a publication year of 2004, you might expect this to be a book about using technology in education. But it's not. Bain's book is not a prescription for technology in the classroom or for technology that replaces the classroom. Instead, it's a book that reviews characteristics common to some of America's best college teachers as identified by students and colleagues.

Bain presents an interesting series of summations about what the best teachers seem to have in common. Bain stresses the point that it is not just any one thing, or even a handful of things, that other teachers could follow to be one of the best. Instead, what truly sets this group apart is a combination of: believing students can succeed, caring to learn about their student's needs and ability to succeed, offering encouragement, and providing challenging activities to demonstrate success.

Some educational science is covered in the first chapter and distilled down to four key concepts (pp.26-31).

1. Knowledge is constructed, not received
2. Mental models change slowly
3. Questions are crucial
4. Caring is crucial

Bain explains each concept and provides considerable reference evidence in the “notes” section at the end of the book.

There are some very interesting observations of learner's behavior and suggestions on how to move learners with misconceptions towards the correct understanding of a concept. It will increase your admiration for the teachers you liked best in college and make you wish you'd had more like those in this book.

The remaining chapters such as “How do they prepare to teach?” and “How do they treat their students?” highlight a number of classroom examples and activities offered by these teachers, their colleagues, or students. What I consider the main message of the book is delivered in the first 50 (of just over 200) pages, making a short and very readable book on education even shorter.