This book makes the compelling argument that religion can be complicit in conflict and that a new secularism is vital to foster security. Using insights from complexity science, it shows how dynamic secularism can be used to accommodate diverse faiths and beliefs within worldly politics. Exploration of the interplay of religion and education in…

Two recent books, "When Good Kids Kill," by Michael D. Kelleher, and "Lost Boys," by James Garbarino, explore how children become killers and suggest ways to reduce our high-pressure society's epidemic levels of youth violence. Physically or psychologically distant parents and unaffirmative media messages are negative…

Reviews book addressing parenting and socialization of boys. Describes text as "provocative" by challenging male attitudes toward parenting. Suggests that readers typically will not agree with author's contentions and that males may become uncomfortable, angry, and defensive. (CRR)

Articles in recent periodicals are reviewed. These articles concern (1) the education of children in poverty; (2) the exposure of children to violence in and out of school; (3) recommendations for the Head Start program for the 1990s; and (4) child care in Germany after reunification. (BC)

Three videos for adults chronicle the life works of Erik Erikson and Jean Piaget, two giants in the child development field, and three videos for children candidly and sensitively address common problems experienced by children, such as being afraid to read aloud in class, dealing with bullies, and protecting themselves from attack by strangers.…

Reviews "Health Care Reform and Child Welfare" (DeWoody) on addressing the needs of abused and neglected children; and "Deadly Consequences" (Prothrow-Stith and Weissman) on the violence destroying the teenage population and ways to begin solving the problem. (HTH)

Reviews six books on the social ills that are threatening to overwhelm our nation's children. Issues discussed include violence as a learned behavior and hate crimes; psychiatric testing of young people used as a control mechanism; educating homeless children; inadequate health care for adolescents; and young unwed fathers. (MLF)

Highly recommends Rutter et al.'s work as an important review of the major research findings on adolescent problem behavior. Describes the structure of the book, summarizing each chapter. Cites as the strength of the book its concern with interdisciplinary explanations, historical trends, and international variations. (SD)

"Order in the Classroom" tests assumptions about what works to create a good classroom environment using longitudinal student data and information about policies in the schools the students attended. Evidence is presented that shows the true link between school disorder and student achievement. (SLD)

Reviews three contemporary movies, "Sleepers,""Girls Town," and "Slingblade" in which the common thread is abuse of helpless children by patriarchal authorities, adult white men who assert power over young people. In all three movies, the anger of the young people and their friends suggests respect for the…

Presents annotated bibliographies of 30 fiction and nonfiction titles judged to be outstanding books of interest to preadolescents. Suitability for middle school curriculum; accuracy of information in nonfiction titles; and character development, plot, and style in fiction works are considered, and the depiction of violence is discussed. (LRW)

Reviews documentary and ethnographic films that examine gender-related issues, summarizing each film and analyzing its relevance to multicultural and social justice education. The films are: "The Fairer Sex?"; "Macho, 2000"; "The Pill"; "Step by Step: Building a Feminist Movement"; "I am a Man";…

Reviews six books on developmental psychology: (1) "Children and Violence" (David Reiss and others); (2) "Television and the American Child" (George Comstock); (3) "Intellectual Development" (Robert Sternberg and Cynthia Berg); (4) "Context and Development" (Robert Cohen and Alexander Siegel); (5) "Adolescent Identity Formation" (Gerald Adams and…

Reviews "Understanding Black Adolescent Male Violence" (Amos N. Wilson, 1991). Violence among young African-American males is explored, with a comprehensive analysis of causes of violence in the inner-city and suggested remediation and preventive methods for solving the violence problem. Theories of male development and the role of an…

Reviews a book that follows an in-depth longitudinal study of Navajos' drinking patterns across the adult life cycle. Findings on survival patterns and the shift from drinking to abstention among men and women in 3 cultural environments are discussed in light of the author's 30-year research experience on this topic. (SV)