When selecting a textbook, college instructors must weigh a variety of factors. One is whether the text is written at a level that is accessible to one's students. An important factor in this is how many technical words are used. I developed an index to calculate logodiversity, a term I coined that reflects the number of technical words and the…

Ten introductory textbooks on mental retardation were analyzed with the Flesch formula for reading ease and interest. All texts fell in the "difficult, college level" category for complexity, but seven were classified as "dull" and three "mildly interesting." Most included adequate organizational aids, and agreement…

United States history as a linchpin in the school curriculum and as a potentially exciting, sometimes electrifying, subject was the conviction underlying this analysis of U.S. history textbooks. This assessment investigates the capacity of leading U.S. social studies and history textbooks to inspire the imagination of students through effective…