Author advances two alternatives to avoid the high price of imported textbooks. (PG)

Reports a review of 13 genetics textbooks published from 1975 to 1979. Six tables present summaries of the significant data about the books, specific topics covered in the texts, and the number of pages devoted to each of 15 general topics in each textbook evaluated. (CS)

Argues for a more principled and careful consideration of composition handbooks. Discusses the values and measures used to evaluate handbooks, what constitutes the act of writing, what constitutes good writing, and who writes and why. Lists questions to serve as a guide for instructors in handbook selection. (TB)

Describes how some textbook publishers pay professors to review their books and then assign them to students, increasing sales. Critics say the practice is unethical--and growing. (EV)

Addresses the evolution of the most authoritative and widely used textbook in world literature courses in the United States, "The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces." Questions if the "Norton Anthology" has provided educators who are committed to the teaching of world literature from non-Eurocentric perspectives with a…

Faculty members who want a voice in textbook selection but whose schedules are already overburdened with meetings can still participate in textbook selection. A 7-stage process for involving all faculty in the textbook selection process has been used effectively twice in a large communication fundamentals course program at a state university and…

Eight college listening texts were selected and evaluated by the following criteria: organization, supporting material, and readability. Text organization was assessed by preface material, table of contents, index, and references. Text supporting material was evaluated by the use of hard data, soft data, visual aids, and bibliographies. Text…

The concern of this paper is with techniques for improving the understandability of statistics textbooks for novices. Understandability is measured by tests of the reader's performance on creative transfer problems that require using text material in novel situations. The focus is primarily on the instructional objective of conceptual…

There must be a return to classic texts in humanities instruction, but the selection of those texts is no longer simple, because of questions about (1) identifying which are classics and (2) connections made between the classic texts studied and a student's personal life. (MSE)

Labor economics textbooks for use with college students were surveyed. Information concerning intended audience, content, and teaching aids is provided for each text. Criteria used in evaluating the texts is provided. (RM)

Discusses factors that psychology professors should consider when selecting a textbook for introductory courses. These include readability, human interest level, comprehensiveness, and authoritative accuracy of the material. (RM)

Discusses technical writing textbooks and assignments that can be used in advanced courses in technical writing. (RL)

Raises issues and questions concerning the judicious choice of a textbook to teach the history of mathematics. (Author/KHR)

Discusses issues involved in the selection of textbooks for family life education: diversity of marriage and family course offerings; difficulties in locating appropriate materials; and criteria for text selection. Reviews 14 university texts published in 1987 and 1988. Calls for texts which cover aspects of marriage and family with greater depth.…

Asserts that college composition courses should go beyond having students write about their own experiences and should encompass a study of texts that reveal conversations going on among educated people. Notes that successful programs have shown that such changes can be made. (SG)