Book excerpt: This collection of papers presents the critical reflections on the management and planning of education of 18 senior officials working in 12 small island nations. The papers are a result of their participation in the Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Planning and Management in Small States program at the University of Malta. The book is divided into two sections. After an introductory essay and two papers on generic management and administration issues in small states, the papers in the first section deal with educational management, addressing the education process from its internal organizational or operational perspective. This section addresses such topics as resource allocation, Total Quality Management, staff recruitment, job satisfaction, and the role of principals. The second section of the book discusses educational planning, focusing on education as a tool for national development. This section discusses such topics as school-business linkages, the general role of educational planning, and specific developmental challenges facing primary, secondary, vocational, and adult education in small countries. Each chapter begins with a brief summary of the key arguments of the paper and ends with a discussion point based on the contents. (Contains a subject and author index.) (WFA).