EDUCATION

A collection of previously published articles in which the author takes on established notions or "pseudo-ideas" in a way guaranteed to create controversy. He does not accept the current fashions, but probes questioningly for reality, eschewing sham and "in" concepts. He always holds to the essential truth—children can learn if those charged with this responsibility are working on the real problems. He has little patience with the empire builders and has trenchant things to say about IQs and their use, black children, colleges, intellectuals and tuition tax credits. Much of what he professes is based on extensive research, and whether he bursts a favorite balloon or disagrees with one's pet dogmas, he is a challenging warrior in a field choked with clic‚s. Sowell's cogent arguments are not easily dismissed. He is old-fashioned in the sense that he believes schools can work well in the worst ghetto. He has seen students learn whom many would have given up on. He is sober and unfashionable, but qualified to state that there need be no "special" way to reach black children in order to have quality education. Give them structure, interested and demanding staff and get rid of the small percentage that threaten to destroy the potential of the majority. Many will be uncomfortable, even furious, at the way he debunks unexamined shibboleths of the educational establishment. However, he is an incisive critic, and until there are some reasonable answers to his questions, trouble looms. A rewarding collection for those prepared to read it with an open mind.