Those who have been waiting for a successor to Jonathon Kozol may find in this book an alternative source of anthropological criticism of schooling.

Richard Fenn, Journal Of Ritual Studies

As a writer, (McLaren) combines the rare gifts of the astute theoretician with that of the storyteller in the manner celebrated by Walter Benjamin. . . . An impressive and original contribution to critical educational theory and practice. . . a startling insight.

Henry Giroux

McLaren's study. . . stands at the pinnacle of ethnographic works.

Stanley Aronowitz, CUNY Graduate Center, author of From the Ashes of the Old: American Labor and America's Future

Where (Paul) Willis draws his interpretation from culturalist Marxist work, McLaren incorporates some of these interpretations within a framework of analysis taken from the anthropological work of Victor Turner and others who stress the importance of symbol and ritual in the organization of institutions and culture. . . . McLaren is the first to apply these insights in such a thorough and detailed manner to the ordinary working of the school. The results are always illuminating.

Michael Apple

. . . He helps us to see more clearly the nature of our lostness and the barely visible sparks of liberation.

David E. Purpel, Educational Theory

Groundbreaking. . . brilliant. . .a tour de force.

Stephen Ball, London Times Higher Education Supplement