Addressed to politicians and policy makers who allocate resources among competing programs of education and extension, practitioners who make day-to-day program decisions, and the scholarly community, this document on trends and issues in adult education around the globe consists of 14 chapters, each with notes and references. The purpose, structure, and methodology of the book are defined first. Chapter 2 discusses the evolution of concepts and definitions of adult education. The next chapter addresses the philosophy and ideology of adult education. Chapter 4 provides the history of theory and research in adult education aimed toward professionalization. In chapter 5 are discussed the history and theory of policy, planning, and programming in adult education processes and substance. Chapter 6 describes institutional innovations in the organization of adult education from the local to the global level. Chapter 7 discusses social mobilization and the social marketing of adult education. The eighth chapter identifies curriculum content, constituencies, and providers of adult education. Chapters 9 and 10 describe the methodology, media, and materials of adult education. The recruitment and training of adult educators are the focus of chapter 11. Subjects of the last three chapters are adult education evaluation on the international level, in North America, and in the Third World; the theory and practice of international cooperation in adult education; and the author's view of the future of adult education. (CML)