Book excerpt: This first text in Allyn & Bacon's new Educational Leadership series from Peabody College, clarifies the complex financial issues facing educational administrators and presents them in a clear and engaging manner. This text was developed by the leading scholars in school finance as part of a series from one of the leading Schools of Education in the world. It is "Modern" not only in the sense that the information it presents is current, but in the manner in which it engages the reader to understand and apply that information. With its strong basis in current research, and easy-to-use, intuitive features, this book strikes an effective balance between the informational and the pedagogical. It covers trends (both historical and current) in educational finance and includes calculations and problems for students to work, and its "Modern" approach pays close attention to the new realities of accountability, resource allocation, and policy. The case studies and interactive pedagogy make this a very practical text.