As with most books of essays, the writing of the various essays is uneven. Some are written with data from research the professor conducted; others are very philosophical. Most of the writing is of the dry tone used by many in academia. I was quite disappointed that this book failed to deliver the type of material that it promised. Too many of the essays were written by professors associated with a single institution. There were a few token essays written by persons at a handful of other institutions, but 2/3 of the essays were written by professors affiliated with the college where the editors teach. Broader representation and at least a few chapters exhibiting a more practical approach rather than a philosophical or statistical approach are needed. ( )