The three books reviewed in this essay all have a similar theme: the role that schools and other institutions can play in improving the life-chances of young people and breaking the cycle of socio-economic disadvantage and low educational attainment that is characteristic of school systems around the world. Through an evaluation of the Academies Programme, through an examination of interventions to widen participation in higher education, and through trying to understand how the "disadvantaged" and "disaffected" "do" school, each book seeks to address fundamental issues of social justice with regard to the quality of the educational experience of society's most vulnerable groups. The three books reviewed here are explicit in their desire to contribute to the body of work that aims to improve educational equity for disadvantaged students. However, the author's main reservation with the research either reported on or undertaken by the authors featured here relates to method: and particularly the research design, sampling strategy, method of analysis, and warrant. Without a strong empirical foundation it is difficult to see how this research can contribute to the understanding of what might work to improve the educational experiences of those in disadvantaged schools and communities.