The Pursuit of Knowledge Under Difficulties

Reviews / Votes

"Opening new territory in social-cultural history, this important book uncovers a wealth of fresh and little-known material on non-formal education, a subject that no one before Kett quite realized is a subject. In the process, he also tells us an enormous amount about formal education, social aspiration, and cultural values over a span of more than two centuries. The book will be useful to students of American education and to historical and literary scholars of American culture. Especially valued will be Kett's attention to the special role of women, to class differences, and to the comparative history of popular education in the United States and Great Britain."-Dorothy Ross, The Johns Hopkins University "As with Kett's other works, it is an excellent thematic study that blends intellectual and social history. It is based on prodigious research and is a pleasure to read, for it combines a broad sweep and bold statement with delightful detail. It should appeal to both scholars and general readers."-Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz, Smith College "Joseph F. Kett has produced another distinguished volume. . . . A striking feature of Kett's book is its careful inclusion of succinct accounts of . . . the traditional stuff of educational history. The book adroitly interweaves this conventional history with the learning experiences of Americans who, because of economic circumstances, age, gender-based exclusion, or geographical isolation, were 'out of school.'"-History of Education Quarterly