THE TEACHER OF TEACHERS.

. By HaroldO. Rugg '08. Harper Brothers. 1952. 308pp. $4.00.

Harold O. Rugg '08 at the age of 66 is still a pioneer in education as he continues to advocate untried and often unpopular paths for others to follow.

In his latest book The Teacher of Teachers Rugg contends that society can no longer afford the leadership of the Practical Man. "Heavy industry has now reached the verge of manless production and we have three alternatives: a society of robots, a society of idle degenerates or a society of happy craftsmen who are not competing with standardized products of the automatic factory but are engaged in labor adapted to their creative abilities. . . . This compels a reorganization of the resources of leadership. . . . The Creative Man must rise to the top." It is Rugg's central premise that in the next five to twentyfive years the Teacher of Teachers can and must take his proper place among the Creative Leaders of western culture.

In his proposed program for teacher education Rugg contends that our basic problem is to build a great theory and program of education from the scholar's most profound knowledge of the actual conditions and trends of our society and culture and of human behavior and expression. Then on these to erect the professional program in curriculum, guidance, teaching and administration that would put the theory and the knowledge to work. Mr. Rugg develops each of the areas in detail and also points out the penalties of leadership for those who have the courage to follow the Creative Way.

Professors at Liberal Arts Colleges who scoff at the idea of the Teachers of Teachers becoming leaders will sputter ineffectively as they try to refute many of the things Rugg does say. Reading the book may lead some of them to ponder on the extent of real thinking that has been done in their particular field the past quarter century.