This book will be a monumental contribution to the topic and a staple of scholarship for decades." ―Michael B. KatzA remarkable volume of critical synthesis and passionate revisionism." ―Journal of Economic History... ambitious and stimulating... required reading not only for social historians but also for policy-makers and activists." ―Histoire SocialeClearly an important book... marks a significant point in the history of literacy studies." ―History of Education QuarterlyA stimulating challenge to traditional assumptions and scholarly commonplaces." ―Journal of Communication