So You Want To Be a Principal? relates many of the experiences Mr. Bowen encountered while working in public and international schools. It suggests that many of the circumstances are difficult and unusual, necessitating the development of a skill set that is not available prior to ones appointment as an administrator and which must therefore be learned. Death, crime, alcohol and drug abuse, parental confrontation, cultural differences, terrorism, and school board politics are some of the areas which he describes in vivid detail.