The why, how, and where of all of the adult's learning projects are encompassed in this book. The central focus is on the adult's efforts to learn, in particular, his decisions, preparations, reasons for learning, help, problems, and needs. The 15 chapters of the book discuss the following: highly deliberate efforts to learn; episodes and learning projects; whether learning projects are common and important; what people learn; why people learn; preparatory steps in deciding to proceed with a learning project; choosing the planner; how common and important each type of planner may be; self-planned learning; improving self-planned learning; when a nonhuman resource serves as planner; learning projects planned by a person in a one-to-one relationship; a group or its leader as planner; practical implications for institutions and instructors; and what needs to be done. The three appendixes present some borderline cases in defining learning projects; influential factors; and freedom, autonomy, and control: the relationship between helper and learner. The book contains 119 references. (DB)