The bright, graffiti-sprayed title on the cover of this book indicates that it is not an exercise in theoretical pedagogy. The authors, both university professors of education, have spent time in the trenches of urban high schools and speak from experience. They state at the outset that they believe that inner city schools are often expected to fail. The authors don't accept that and provide a plan to remedy this using critical pedagogy, a method meant to engage the student as a partner in learning. They are also acutely aware of cultural and economic backgrounds that need to be integrated into the learning process. This rallying cry for change in educational practices is intended for teachers, administrators and policy makers in local government. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)