The United States' twentieth century goal of equal education opportunity for all morphed into the goal of equal results. Facing Reality in American Education, suggests that equal results have been sought through dumbing down the curriculum and grade inflation, which begs the question, can a nation stay competitive while not developing the full potential of its most capable people? -Virfinia Deane Abernethy, Professor Emeritus, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Robert Walters shows that the education establishment and its defenders in politics and the media have advocated dozens of remedies for the black-white gap in racial achievement over the last 50 years. Rather than attempting the impossible dream of all children being prepared to benefit from a college education, the author quite reasonably proposes that children who are not able to succeed in a rigorous academic program should be provided opportunities to train for other positions that are needed in today's economy - plumbers, electricians, machinery operators, and computer technicians. Quite simply, academic learning is not for everyone, and nor should it be. This is a vey readable, well-researched book that provides a much needed corrective to the liberal/left zeitgeist that unfortunately dominates the intellectual and moral high ground throughout the West. - K.B. MacDonald, Retired Professor, California State University, Long Beach