Elementary social studies textbooks in the United States are better today than they have ever been before. Changes in the educational climate, the textbook evaluation process, and the marketplace have led to vast improvements in published materials. (RM)

Integrity in the search for truth is not the aim of the textbook business. Pressures are put on publishers by various political groups. The result is monotonous, bland, glossy, vapid textbooks. The system is largely to blame. Choice and competition must be brought into the textbook business. (RM)

Because of revisions made in the content of history textbooks, Japan has been accused of attempting to rewrite history as part of a larger conspiracy to brainwash students and to rearm the nation. Discussed are the legal authority of the national government to screen and approve textbooks and international reactions. (RM)

Explores the world of textbook preparation, focusing on the revision of "A History of the United States" by Daniel Boorstin and Brooks Kelley. Describes the process of revising each paragraph in a selected section of the book. Surveys the concerns of teachers regarding textbooks and the interests of the students who use them. (GEA)