Adult learning flourishes in all kinds of different contexts ... This is one reason why Richard Desjardins' book is welcome, as he sets out to bring these different cultures into a common analytical framework. The contexts vary enormously: between different sectors, social groupings and, of course, countries and cultures.... The book is likely to become an important reference point, and Desjardins has done well to open up the field.

Comparative Education

This book is an interesting and relevant addition to the growing literature on comparative studies in the field of adult lifelong learning. It will help researchers to better understand lifelong learning systems and does this through critical engagement with data from PIAAC's Survey of Adult Skills. I look forward to having this book on my shelves.

Ellen Boeren, Chancellor's Fellow, Moray House School of Education, University of Edinburgh, UK

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the comparative study of adult learning systems across the world. It combines a theoretical overview of the politics of adult education with a set of country studies and a series of comparative analyses based on the 2012 PIAAC dataset, which is the largest dataset ever collected on this topic. The author concludes with a rich set of topical policy recommendations. A must-read for policy makers, stakeholders and students in adult education.

Ides Nicaise, Professor, Department of Education Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium

Richard Desjardins has provided a comprehensive and accessible account of the political economy of adult learning systems that will be essential reading for those new to the field, as well as to those more familiar with bringing together a political analysis with an understanding of economics. It provides researchers, policy makers and institutional leaders with valuable country-specific analyses, and through comparative conceptual work, it offers important critical insights and poses new questions about the relationship between patterns of education structures, governance, participation and equality of outcomes.

Susan Webb, Professor of Education, Monash University, Australia