Book excerpt: In Surreal Change: The Real Life of Transforming Public Education, internationally renowned expert Michael Fullan reflects on the leading trends and ideas within the educational change field over a 50-year period. The author traces the evolution of the field through his own personal developments and contributions to it, working chronologically through "The 12 Seminal Ideas" of his career. Fullan shows his personal and vulnerable side as well as how he came to develop breakthrough ideas. By looking at the way the field has transformed and grown over time, Fullan draws attention to what ideas have persisted, what problems still need solving, and what faces teachers, leaders and reformers today. Deeply personal and insightful, Surreal Change contextualizes the past, present, and future of school reform to help leaders continue to bring about lasting, positive, systemic change in their organization.