Argues that Susan Sugarman's article in this issue contains some valid criticism of assumptions in developmental psychology, but that some of her conclusions regarding other assumptions need to be questioned. Suggests that many problems raised by Sugarman would disappear if developmental psychologists concentrated on children's early achievements…

The focus in this book is on steering a course between rigorous definitions and theory and applied attempts to measure costs and benefits in the real world. As an introduction to the concepts underlying cost-benefit analysis, this volume is well-written and comprehensive for a book of its length. (SLD)

This book is a significant contribution to the field of sociology of school knowledge. It looks at the historical development of the field and argues that, although this field has appealed only to a limited audience, it has the potential to reach a larger audience of scholars if an alternative research agenda could be created. (SLD)

This book offers ways to answer questions about public trust in teachers. Discourses on teachers as transmitters of moral and cognitive virtues and on the unsatisfactory nature of competing models of theory-practice relationships are grounded in an interpretation of Aristotle's Phronesis as moral wisdom. Education is only one of the purposes of…

"Test Scoring" provides insight into psychometric procedures as used by a professional testing company or in large-scale projects. The book contains an overview of standard test theory, a discussion of factor analytic theory, and an exploration of special applications and problems. (SLD)

Reviews a book, "Teachers' Voices for School Change" by Andrew Gitlin, on educative research and teacher voice, examining the educative research process which grounds reflection in the life histories of teacher researchers, presenting four case studies on educative research, and reflecting on the educative research process itself.…

Evaluates third edition of "Counseling and Psychotherapy," described as a versatile text aimed toward advanced undergraduates and graduate students, providing a view of counseling as dynamic and integrating issues of multiculturalism. Evaluates accompanying instructor's manual and study guide. (Author/CRR)

Discusses Allan Bloom's "The Closing of the American Mind" from a Canadian point of view, contending that Bloom's angry, irrational book on failures in U.S. society and higher education does not raise interesting or important ideas. Similarities and differences between Bloom and author Hilda Neatby are noted. (SM)

John Dewey attempted to connect knowledge and reality through a naturalized epistemology but produced an anthropomorphic ontology in which things are shaped too much by the mind. Many of Dewey's ideas are still relevant, but taken as an intact set of ideas, they are not applicable to the world of today. (SLD)

Reviews Barbara J. King's detailed observations of free-ranging baboons in Amboseli, Kenya; these observations contain a mass of recent research and report studies of divergent theories in primatology and paleontology. King's studies supply direct evidence about primate behavior that conveys information and show how natural information transfer is…

This book contains a series of research articles about computerized adaptive testing (CAT) written for advanced psychometricians. The book is divided into sections on: (1) item selection and examinee scoring in CAT; (2) examples of CAT applications; (3) item banks; (4) determining model fit; and (5) using testlets in CAT. (SLD)

Discusses five recent books on reading and literacy which represent the brighter side of the reading profession. (RS)

Annotates and reviews three professional books about organizing reading instruction; some of the resources highlight belief systems and some highlight procedures. (MG)

Discusses two authors' views on critical thinking. McPeck denies the possibility of critical thinking, stating it is burdened by informal logic. Paul believes critical thinking includes logical, epistemological, psychological, and social dimensions springing from moral and political concerns. The paper examines the debate over general versus…

This book uses concepts familiar to those with a working knowledge of basic statistics and classical test theory to present item response theory models that are currently in wide use in both practical testing and research. The book would serve as a good entry-level graduate text in psychometrics and measurement methods. (SLD)