Reviews three books that address the relations between technology, race, and education, and illuminate the realistic impact that the Internet has had on persons of African descent in the United States and Trinidad. Discusses the digital divide among U.S. racial/ethnic groups and across countries and the social and political implications of the…

Three books examine works of Paulo Freire and the concepts of critical pedagogy and emancipatory education as they relate to current world political situations: dominance of neoliberal politics on one hand and Brazil's election of a working-class president on the other. Freire's thinking can be a foundation for a new leftist "common sense" that…

Reviews three books that contribute to understanding similarities and differences in educational reform trajectories in national and regional contexts. Examines two issues that influence the relationships between globalization and education: the importance of discourse, which shapes policy and action, and attention to who participates in…

Reviews three books that (1) provide a systemic overview of schooling in Mexico in the 20th century, (2) present a critical ethnography of Mexican student culture and identity formation, and (3) incorporate analyses of indigenous cultural practices into cognitive theory. Reflects on the future of Mexican education in view of political corruption…

Four books examine recent and ongoing changes in the university as an institution, focusing on lifelong learning and increasing numbers of nontraditional students, the entrepreneurial university, and the university in the knowledge society. The new university must balance its roles of serving the new economy while continuing to safeguard and…

Reviews two books that give an overview of the broad spectrum of new educational technology advocates, what they have accomplished using various distance media in developing countries, and what they are proposing for the future. Weaves the reviewer's personal experiences with these projects into the review. Discusses implications for comparative…

Two books acknowledge the importance of education in empowering African women and girls, both socially and economically, but differ from the dominant discourse by delving into locally grounded investigations of the dynamics that influence girls' access to education, outcomes, and the nature of the empowerment that education accords them. The scope…

Reviews three books that argue that the teaching profession is being deprofessionalized by the demands and policies of "neoliberal globalizers." Discusses the nature of hope in these global times and its role in developing alternative proposals to the current process of intensification of teachers' work. (SV)

Reviews five books on child labor, published 1997-2000, with reference to the International Labour Organization's 1999 convention that retreats from its previous hard stance on child labor. Discusses street children; public policy on child labor, child welfare, and school attendance; types of children's work; and working children as agents…

Three books, published 1999-2000, map out a vision of education as a vehicle for human emancipation and global transformation. Their approaches to presenting the "big picture" differ, focusing on case studies of learning through local social action; the impact of Che Guevara and Paulo Freire on liberation discourse worldwide; and comprehensive…

Reviews three books concerned with the relationship of education to social and economic development. Compares the books with regard to their definitions of development and their conclusions about the benefits of educational investment in developing countries, the success of international agencies in poor countries, and directions for future…

Reviews three books that argue that science education should reflect global scientific contributions, use multicultural and feminist perspectives, and be grounded in everyday life experiences with science. Suggests questions of policy and practice in moving from theory to implementation of a more equitable, socially responsible science education.…

Reviews three books that examine intersections of educational philosophy and research with the postpositivist landscape. The books present challenges for comparative education related to ethically examining the desire to know "the other," welcoming the new and diverse, employing dynamic concepts in analyses, and adopting a decentered approach that…

Reviews three books that examine the ongoing transformation of environmental education from a narrow science-focused framework toward new goals of public consciousness raising, social change, and environmental activism. (SV)

Reviews three books that critique and compare the ideas of Gramsci and Freire: "Revolutionary Social Transformation: Democratic Hopes, Political Possibilities and Critical Education" (Paula Allman); "Radical Heroes: Gramsci, Freire and the Politics of Adult Education" (Diana Coben); and "Gramsci, Freire and Adult Education: Possibilities for…