Choice Review

Solomon's book critiques, in an in-depth comparison, the work in computer education done by educators Patrick Suppes, Robert B. Davis, Tom Dwyer, and Seymour Papert; it discusses the importance of that work for the field of education. The chapters ``Suppes: Drill and Practice and Rote Learning,'' ``Davis: Socratic Interactions and Discovery Learning,'' ``Dwyer: Eclecticism and Heuristic Learning,'' and ``Papert: Constructivism and Piagetian Learning'' are very helpful in presenting the philosophical and practical differences that exist among the viewpoints of these major educators who have sought to improve computer environments for children. The book pivots around Suppes's CCC elementary mathematics curriculum, Davis's efforts behind the PLATO computer system, Dwyer's eclectic approach to BASIC, and Papert's constructivist approach to learning with LOGO. This is the book that every computer education teacher should read, including public school teachers who are concerned with computer environments in elementary and secondary schools. Solomon is insightful and sometimes biting in her view of the inadequacies of BASIC; nevertheless, this is the result of her own background richly steeped in LOGO. This is a useful book that deserves to be on the shelf of every educator interested in computing. Recommended for college, university, and public libraries.-G.R. McMeen, University of Nevada, Reno