THIS STUDY OF WORLD ILLITERACY BEGINS WITH A BRIEF OUTLINE OF THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM OF ILLITERACY AND DISCUSSION OF THE SPECIAL TECHNIQUES WHICH HAVE BEEN EVOLVED TO OVERCOME IT. A WORLD MAP OF ILLITERACY PLOTS ILLITERACY IN SPECIFIC AREAS AND COUNTRIES. PAST AND PRESENT EFFORTS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM (THE PIONEER WORK OF WORK OF MISSIONARIES, MASS EDUCATION AND LITERACY CAMPAIGNS, PROGRAMS OF UNESCO AND THE UNITED NATIONS), THE LITERACY CAMPAIGN IN NORTHERN NIGERIA, AND SIMILAR CAMPAIGNS IN FRENCH-SPEAKING AFRICA AND IN CUBA ARE SURVEYED. THE PROVISION OF READING MATERIAL NEEDED TO FOLLOW UP LITERACY CAMPAIGNS AND THE USE OF MASS MEDIA ARE EXAMINED. THERE IS AN EVALUATION OF THE SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE FACT THAT, DESPITE ALL EFFORTS, 1,000 MILLION OF THE WORLD'S INHIBITANTS STILL CANNOT READ OR WRITE. IN THE APPENDIX IS A DETAILED ACCOUNT OF THE FOUNDATION AND WORK OF THE NORTH REGIONAL LITERATURE AGENCY IN THE NORTHERN REGION OF NIGERIA. THE DOCUMENT INCLUDES A READING LIST, REFERENCES, AND WORLD MAPS SHOWING THE ILLITERATE POPULATION OVER TEN YEARS OF AGE, AND FEMALE ILLITERACY. THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE FROM THE PALL MALL PRESS LTD. 77-79 CHARLOTTE STREET, LONDON W. 1. (JACKET/AJ)