William A. Sommers, PhD, is the former executive director for secondary curriculum and professional learning for Minneapolis Public Schools and has been a school administrator for over 35 years. He has been a senior fellow for the Urban Leadership Academy at the University of Minnesota and has served as an adjunct faculty member at multiple universities. In addition, he has been a program director for an adolescent chemical dependency treatment center and on the advisory board of a halfway house for 20 years.

As a former principal and superintendent, I believe Bill Sommers has written a foundational book about talent development. He starts from the premise that talent exists in isolation, but only flourishes when an investment is made in adult learning. He demonstrates that by elevating the intellectual horsepower of adults, educators can create schools that embody talent density—schools where talented people make one another more effective. This invaluable book offers many pathways for committed leaders to create talent density—the payoff being schools that accelerate talent density in our students.

• ForewordPreface – What is Talent Density? Why Adult Learning?AcknowledgementsIntroduction – Why this book? Chapter 1 – Foundational Content, Adult Development Chapter 2 - Situational Leadership – Assessing Readiness Levels of Individuals and groupsChapter 3 – Not Able, Not WillingChapter 4 – Not Able, Are WillingChapter 5 – Are Able, Not WillingChapter 6 – Able and Willing – Learning OmnivoresChapter 7 – The Fifth Quadrant - Extreme People DevelopmentConclusion – Now What? AppendixAbout the Author

William A. Sommers, PhD, is the former executive director for secondary curriculum and professional learning for Minneapolis Public Schools and has been a school administrator for over 35 years. He has been a senior fellow for the Urban Leadership Academy at the University of Minnesota and has served as an adjunct faculty member at multiple universities. In addition, he has been a program director for an adolescent chemical dependency treatment center and on the advisory board of a halfway house for 20 years.

As a former principal and superintendent, I believe Bill Sommers has written a foundational book about talent development. He starts from the premise that talent exists in isolation, but only flourishes when an investment is made in adult learning. He demonstrates that by elevating the intellectual horsepower of adults, educators can create schools that embody talent density—schools where talented people make one another more effective. This invaluable book offers many pathways for committed leaders to create talent density—the payoff being schools that accelerate talent density in our students.

• ForewordPreface – What is Talent Density? Why Adult Learning?AcknowledgementsIntroduction – Why this book? Chapter 1 – Foundational Content, Adult Development Chapter 2 - Situational Leadership – Assessing Readiness Levels of Individuals and groupsChapter 3 – Not Able, Not WillingChapter 4 – Not Able, Are WillingChapter 5 – Are Able, Not WillingChapter 6 – Able and Willing – Learning OmnivoresChapter 7 – The Fifth Quadrant - Extreme People DevelopmentConclusion – Now What? AppendixAbout the Author

William A. Sommers, PhD, is the former executive director for secondary curriculum and professional learning for Minneapolis Public Schools and has been a school administrator for over 35 years. He has been a senior fellow for the Urban Leadership Academy at the University of Minnesota and has served as an adjunct faculty member at multiple universities. In addition, he has been a program director for an adolescent chemical dependency treatment center and on the advisory board of a halfway house for 20 years.

As a former principal and superintendent, I believe Bill Sommers has written a foundational book about talent development. He starts from the premise that talent exists in isolation, but only flourishes when an investment is made in adult learning. He demonstrates that by elevating the intellectual horsepower of adults, educators can create schools that embody talent density—schools where talented people make one another more effective. This invaluable book offers many pathways for committed leaders to create talent density—the payoff being schools that accelerate talent density in our students.

• ForewordPreface – What is Talent Density? Why Adult Learning?AcknowledgementsIntroduction – Why this book? Chapter 1 – Foundational Content, Adult Development Chapter 2 - Situational Leadership – Assessing Readiness Levels of Individuals and groupsChapter 3 – Not Able, Not WillingChapter 4 – Not Able, Are WillingChapter 5 – Are Able, Not WillingChapter 6 – Able and Willing – Learning OmnivoresChapter 7 – The Fifth Quadrant - Extreme People DevelopmentConclusion – Now What? AppendixAbout the Author