In spite of affirmative action law, minority students are less likely to finish college, even when given preference for admission. In this work for general readers, educators, and administrators, Sander (law, economics, UCLA) and co-author Taylor, a legal journalist, investigate this paradox of 'mismatch' in affirmative action, focusing on the debate on the law school mismatch. Drawing on interviews with students and university officials, they point out the deception and secrecy surrounding the results of racial preferences at universities and demonstrate how racial preferences backfire against the students they are supposed to help. The authors note that most universities neglect outreach to poor, working-class, and even middle-class students in their single-minded focus on race. They also offer an extended case study on what happened in California after the legal ban on racial preferences. The authors conclude by giving recommendations for closing the test score gap and making higher education admissions and outcomes more transparent. A companion website contains extensive technical and supplemental material. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)