HOOK NOTES ASL) HEVIEWS 191

h a s t asis t)(JOk is distinguished t)y the eminence of the editor and 47 (mi-
tributors t o this tweiity-fifth anniversary volume of selections from the prestigious
Invitat i o i i a l Coiifvreiice o i i Testing lroblenis. sponsored since World War I1 by the
Educatioii:il Testing Service. The 5s articles consist of 18 on test, development and
use, 22 011 ;i widc raiige of problems of psychometric theory and method, arid the
remaining 1s 0 1 1 special problems in the assessnierit of individual differences. All of
the selections n.crc origin:tlly published :is invited contributions to the Conference
tirid in the prescwt volume they coint)iiir t o form a sparkling collection of the best
of the test liter:iturc. Tliis reviewer w:ts cyually well impressed by the Iayiie and
l I ( - l l o r r i sc.ollrctioii 1vhic.h inrludes surprisingly few of the same selections. Drawing
from the gcbiier:il 1itcr:tturc. the editors hnvc. iiicluded outstanding papers by younger
:uid sometimes I c w wc~ll-kiio\vn aut hors, :ilt,hough the scope is similar. The final
section iricludes :i criticlue of multiple-rhoice tests, by Hoffmann, followed by heavy
artillery i i i defciisc,, provided by 3Iarviii Duriiiette arid Robert I.. Ebel.
Test 7heo/,!i is t i well-written :ind \wll-organized text presentation of theory
essenti:il t o iiitcrprettation and use o f test data for the study of individual differ-
ences arid for t Iic professional functions of diagnosis, counseling, selection, classi-
fication, arid test ronstruction. An experienced teacher himself, a t the University
of Stockh(~lm,J1:igriusson has included the necessary elementary statistics, in
context, t o facilit:ite the understanding of his theoretical presentatiou, which covers
reliability, validity, predicttion, factor theory, and scaling, as well as related and
supporting (XJliWpts. This text should be useful for self-study and refresher reading,
as well as for seiiior-beginning graduate levc.1 courses.
N A T U R A L STYLES O F f , E A l t S I S G

HOLT, ,JOHN. Ilorr Clrzfdrrn Learn. S e w York: Iitmaii Publishing Corporation,

1967, 1x9 p., $4.95.
John Holt is ti provocative and persuasive writer. His first book, Hoic Children
Fail (Iitnian, 1964) was reviewed in our April, 1966 column. If the culture and the
schools geiieratc. stresses that encourage failure, as the earlier book claimed, they
are itlso iiot equipped for effective teaching, acwrding to the new one. An illustra-
tive point is the comnierit that If wt: taught children t o speak, theyd never learn.
Yet, by coiitrast , the author cites profuse observational evidence that children do
have curiosity aiid find their ow11 ways of mastery. We do iiot need to keep picking
away at their minds to make sure they are learning. What we need to do, and all we
need to do, is bring as much of the world as we can into the school and the classroom;
give childrcw :is n i w h help and guidance as they need and ask for; listen respectfully
when they feel like talking; and then get out of t,he way. We can trust them to do
the rest. A teacher for about 15 years, Mr. Holt now teaches, consults and coaches
soccer at schools i i i the Boston area. His new book is a challenge to psychologists
of learning as well as to the educational establishment.
THEART A N D SCIENCE O F COMMUNICATION

DALE,EDGAR.Can You Give the Public What it Wants? The Need f o r Better Com-
munications in Editing, Writing, Broadcasting, Advertising, and Teaching. New
York : Cowles Education Corporation, 1967, 220 p., $5.95.
The extended title describes the scopc of this informal, crusading book by a