This book, published by the American Association of Community Colleges, contains valuable information about the nation's community college presidents. The authors provide a comprehensive profile of these leaders, highlighting different characteristics most presidents hold in common as well as important differences that emerge when data are cross-tabulated according to age, gender, and race. The findings on the risk and stress levels of the presidency could be used to encourage (or discourage) interested individuals to pursue the presidency as a career choice, and could be used by leadership training institutes to advise students about career choices and chances of success. The book contains a foreword by David R. Pierce, and chapters include: (1) "The State of the Presidency"; (2) "Family Background"; (3) "Pathways to the Presidency"; (4) "Assuming the Presidency: Routines and Relationships"; (5) "On the Job: Worldviews and Aspirations"; (6) "Views from the Trenches: Seven Presidents Speak Out"; (7) "Looking to the Future: More Views from the Trenches"; and (8) "The Presidency in Transition." The appendix contains the survey instrument. A subject index is also included. (Contains 27 references.) (CB)