Noddings's radical choice for a particular stance in life is both what makes "Happiness and Education" a thought-provoking book and what also leads me to have some reservations. First, I briefly outline some of these reservations and focus on what I think are two important difficulties "Happiness and Education" faces:…

Examines the writings of Burbules and Young, two major educational theorists committed to promoting and understanding the practice of dialogue in educational contexts, focusing on Jurgen Habermas's theory of communicative action. Their works have shown the necessity for researchers to move across disciplinary boundaries and developing theories of…

Considers "The Culture of Disbelief" (Stephen Carter) and "Educating for Intelligent Belief or Unbelief" (Nel Noddings) and how to incorporate religious issues in public school education in light of the persistent religiosity of Americans, a current discomfort with religious issues in public forums, and strong emerging conflicts whose effects are…

Bloom's book, "The Closing of the American Mind," is an argument for intellectual isolationism and, as such, is potentially dangerous. In addition, Bloom has misconstrued Plato's "Republic," a text central to his critique of modernity and its education. (IAH)

Reviews Robert Westbrook's book, "John Dewey and American Democracy," which analyzes intellectual debates in which Dewey was involved. The book provides a critical account of Dewey's role as an agent of political change and a promoter of participatory democracy and participative decision making. (SM)

Kozol's book, Savage Inequalities, examines inequality between urban and suburban education and encourages suburban residents to reflect on U.S. education since the 1970s and on the role of their communities in structuring the current savage inequalities. The book suggests affluent parents successfully transmit their ideology of inequality to…

Kozol's books examine how public schools perpetuate racial injustice, noting ethical abdication by the affluent in violation of children's innocence and capability by urban schools. Schools fail children by deforming the spirit of the poor and soothing the conscience of the rich. Kozol demands greater resources for poor students. (SM)

Discusses three concerns about inequities in public education: the national movement to write off poor urban students (and growing pressure to privatize public schooling), the sense of hopelessness in the literature on public education, and the lack of action in creating educational change and improvement. (SM)

Reviews "The Tact of Teaching," Max van Manen; "Practice Makes Practice," Deborah Britzman; "Teacher Education and the Social Conditions of Schooling," Daniel Liston and Kenneth Zeichner; "The Teacher: Theory and Practice in Teacher Education," Allen Pearson. The books focus on social influences and context, cultural pedagogy, educational theory…

Reviews "Stories Lives Tell," Carol Witherell and Nel Noddings; and "Turning the Soul," Sophie Haroutunian-Gordon, which include autobiographical accounts of participation in narrative and dialogical activities in formal and extra-school contexts. The books raise questions about the benefits and limitations of this approach for educational…

Discusses two authors' views on critical thinking. McPeck denies the possibility of critical thinking, stating it is burdened by informal logic. Paul believes critical thinking includes logical, epistemological, psychological, and social dimensions springing from moral and political concerns. The paper examines the debate over general versus…