Being the president of anything takes vision, ambition, and leadership. Being the president of a leading academic institution takes courage (and a whole lot of smarts). Leading Wellesley College for almost 20 years while it ushered in the new millennium took Dr. Diana Chapman Walsh. In her new memoir, The Claims of Life, she gives you a front row seat to the front office of Wellesley and walks you how she got there. Diana is also one of our nearest and dearest friends….and we loved talking to her. Our bookstore this week is Bear Pond Books in Montpelier, Vermont.

Books mentioned in this week's episode:

• The Claims of Life by Diana Chapman Walsh
• A Synthesizing Mind: A Memoir from the Creator of Multiple Intelligences Theory by Howard Gardner
• Death at an Early Age by Jonathan Kozol
• North Woods by Daniel Mason
• Save me a Seat!: A Life with Movies by Rick Winston

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