Of General Interest
Abusing Science: The Case Against Creationism, by Philip Kitcher (MIT Press, 28 Carleton St., Cambridge, Mass. 02142; 223 pages, $15.00).
Billed as a “manual for self-defense” against creation science, this book examines the major arguments advanced by its proponents and discusses the consequences of providing equal treatment for creationism and evolution in the classroom. Writing for teachers, administrators, parents, and others, the author argues that creation science is an abuse of science, and he provides a defense of evolutionary theory against creationist objections. In addition to offering a basic explanation of evolutionary theory, the book addresses such educational issues as intellectual tolerance in the classroom and argues against the assertion that evolutionary theory is harmful to religion and morality. Mr. Kitcher is associate professor of philosophy at the University of Vermont.
Childhood Stress: Don’t Let Your Child be a Victim, by Barbara Kuczen (Delacorte Press, 245 East 47th St., New York, N.Y. 10017; 352 pages, $14,95).
Based on the premises that “stress is inevitable” and that many young people do not know how to cope with it, the book defines the syndrome and suggests how parents can help to reduce stress in their children. The author, a professor of early childhood education at Chicago State University and a former primary-school and special-education teacher, provides information on recognizing the danger signs of stress and understanding children’s individual personalities, as well as the relationship between adults’ lifestyles and the stress that their children experience. The author describes ways that parents can channel stressful emotions in positive directions.
For Special Interests
Schools Abroad of Interest to Americans, 5th Edition, edited by the Porter Sargent staff (Porter Sargent Publishers, Inc., 11 Beacon St., Boston, Mass. 02108; 520 pages, $22.00).
Lists 950 elementary and secondary schools in 126 countries with the following information: name and address, summary, curriculum, enrollment, faculty, tuition and scholarship aid, summer sessions, calendar, and more. Divided into geographical categories (Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Canada), the volume is intended for people planning to study overseas.
Shadow and Substance: Afro-American Experience in Contemporary Children’s Fiction, by Rudine Sims (National Council of Teachers of English, 1111 Kenyon Rd., Urbana, Ill. 61801; 118 pages, paper $6.00; NCTE members $5.50).
Analyzes the importance of fiction in helping black children see themselves as significant people and includes a series of bibliographies intended to help librarians, teachers, and parents make informed decisions about literature for and about black children. The author’s exploration of black children’s fiction is based on a study of 150 fictional works published since 1965 dealing with preschool to 8th-grade Afro-American children. The author is a professor of education at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Anne Bridgman
