I just want to second Don's recommendation of Varenne & McDermott's _Successful
Failure: The School America Builds_. Many of those early studies are
rewritten there, and written quite beautifully. It should be a pleasure for
students to read. The book's been out for a couple of years, but it was only
in hardback at something like $70, so the new paperback edition, at $20, was
great news.
If it matters...I noticed, reading it today in the midst of the discussion of
Coles, that McDermott does cite Coles in reference to the social history of
changing language constructions around "learning disabled": stupid, retarded,
emotionally disturbed, brain damaged. Also, I'm in touch with Gerry Coles, so
if Ellice and Addison can reconstruct their take on his work, maybe I can get
him to respond. From past conversations, I think he'd agree that he's coming
from a slightly different perspective than, say, McDermott, as Ellice
suggested. But I'm not sure it's a difference that makes a difference in the
end.
Randy Bomer
Indiana University
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