DOMINIC W. MASSARO, editor
University of California, Santa Cruz

Not the Usual Suspects

The Psychology of Leadership: New Perspectives and Research
Edited by David M. Messick and Roderick M. Kramer. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum, 2005. xii + 347 pp. Cloth, $79.95; Paper, $34.50.

In the closing scene of the classic film Casablanca, the Nazi police inspector played by Claude Rains orders his subordinate to "round up the usual suspects." As the audience, we are meant to understand that this pro forma action is not intended to yield any truly productive results. Unfortunately, many contemporary books on leadership seem resigned to the same fate. Too often these books are populated by traditional leadership researchers (such as this reviewer) who present perspectives already well understood and of limited innovative impact.