"Tough Liberal," a book penned by the author of this article, traces the life of Albert Shanker (1928-1997) chronologically from birth to death. Shanker was the longtime head of the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) in New York City (1964-1986) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) nationally (1974-1997). "Tough Liberal" recounts the major contributions of Shanker to the American education as the founding father of teacher unionism, as an education reformer, and as a tough liberal. In this article, the author begins by reviewing the major themes of "Tough Liberal." Then he outlines the reactions to the book and his response to those reactions. Finally, the author speculates about what these discussions might say about the future of teacher unionism and education reform. (Contains 6 footnotes.)