Three books represent the recent work of leading U.S. proponents of critical approaches to pedagogy: "Life in Schools: An Introduction to Critical Pedagogy in the Foundations of Education," by Peter McLaren; "Freire for the Classroom: A Sourcebook for Liberatory Teaching," edited by Ira Shor; and "Teachers as Intellectuals: Toward a Critical Pedagogy of Learning," by Henry A. Giroux. References to critical pedagogy imply at least four significant ideas: (1) fostering student initiative and creativity through nonauthoritarian dialogue between student and teacher; (2) promoting democracy by engaging students in the struggle for a society that lives up to its democratic ideals; (3) empowering students with the obligation to critique American society; and (4) having faith in the average intellect. Shor's book is a collection of essays written by international educators who have put into practice the pedagogy of Paulo Freire, the Brazilian educator who empowered his students to lead successful voting rights movements. While intriguing, much of the book does not speak to the world of American public school teachers. McLaren's book details the ideological position of critical teachers, and contends that an increasingly undemocratic social order is supported by the schooling experience. Giroux's collection of essays portrays the role of teacher as "transformative intellectual" who educates with a bias toward freedom, justice, and equality. If there is merit in critical theory for rural educators, it is in the idea that rural students need to engage in dialogue about the powerful social forces that are shaping their lives and their futures. (SV)