&;One of the most important books on education to come along in years.&;  &; New York Times Book Review   A New York Times Notable Book · A Best Book of the Year, the Washington Post, the Atlantic, The New Yorker, and Publishers Weekly · A Best History Book of 2015, Amazon · Finalist for the J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize · Finalist for the Bernstein Award · Winner of the New Jersey Studies Academic Alliance Authors Award?   &;Impeccably researched . . . Russakoff pulls readers in with richly drawn real-world characters.&; &; Atlantic   &;Stunning . . . Russakoff&;s narrative is rich with details and anecdotes that showcase the quality of her writing and bring Newark to life.&; &; Chicago Tribune   When Mark Zuckerberg announced his $100 million pledge to transform the Newark schools and create an education model that could be applied to any city in the nation, it looked like a huge win for New Jersey politicians Cory Booker and Chris Christie. But their plan met the opposition of Newark&;s key education players, who were fiercely protective of their billion-dollar-a-year system &; a prize that, for generations, had enriched seemingly everyone, except Newark&;s students. With deeply drawn portraits of everyone from the philanthropists throwing millions at a haphazard plan, to the teachers fighting to reach students damaged by extreme poverty and violence, The Prize is a riveting account of the complexities and challenges that face all of America&;s failing schools.  &;Russakoff provides insights that should prove useful both to contemporary school reformers and to citizens hoping to understand their efforts.&; &; Washington Post   &;A moving and thought-provoking book . . . Invaluable.&; &; New York Times  Read Less