The greatest resource of a developing nation is its people; without their vision, talents, and energies its resources are wasted. The development of these resources builds a prosperous economy and a social order in which each person can lead a meaningful existence in peace and harmony with his fellow man. Therefore, the development of these resources must be a fundamental public responsibility, requiring the formulation and continuous development of a broad policy.

The importance of education in the process of social and economic development does not imply that large amounts of money spent on any kind of education serve the cause of growth and development. On the contrary, given scarce and limited financing, the direction of educational development should be guided by systematic studies of educational needs based on short- and long-term goals for development in all sectors. Failure to make frequent assessments of these needs on a total sector basis leaves the desired output of well-educated and well-trained manpower to chance.

Robert J. Havighurst and Aparecida J. Gouveia present not only a raft of information about the middle school in Brazil but a unique approach for educational development studies. The book is written in clear and precise language and well documented with all kinds of data that more than adequately support conclusions made. The scope of the study is an excellent reminder to educational planners and to those involved in educational development, of the need to probe deeply for widespread information leading to more effective decision making. The authors strongly support the notion that education at the secondary level directed to the needs of students can be a useful tool in developing resources for vital positions in the world of work.

The book is well done and should make a real contribution to the rapidly expanding group interested in the educational development of Brazil and, by implication in that of other Latin American countries. The study provokes serious thinking about the many problems that must be explored before the contribution of education to economic development can be truly assessed.

A Latin American educator once likened educational development in his country to a man picking slowly away at a block of ice with a toothpick. His main criticism centered in the willingness of educational officials to move in so many different directions at a time. Exhaustive studies on various phases of the educational sequence as conducted here by Havighurst and Gouveia would avoid this kind of waste and hasten the development process. More precise planning would produce effective education that could not only meet manpower requirements expressed in terms of a given number of graduates from an education cycle, but also aim at improving quality. Thereby it would fulfill the objectives that society has set for the system.