This review of a 1981 interim report on the United States' and the Soviet Union's distortion of events in history and geography textbooks is intended to encourage educators in both countries to depict the other side more honestly, less aggressively, and more appreciative of each other's virtues and flaws. Organized into two major sections, "Alleged Soviet Distortions" and "Alleged USA Distortions," examples of major distortions and factual errors presented in U.S. and Soviet textbooks are given. For example, Soviet textbooks focus on American poverty, unemployment, inflation, crime, social inequality, racism, hedonism, and militarism; Soviet textbook reviewers hold that U.S. textbooks discredit the political system in the Soviet Union and the role of the Marxist-Leninist ideology, and undercut the achievements of the first socialist state in the world. It is concluded that if nuclear holocaust is to be avoided and peace be maintained, textbooks in the United States and the Soviet Union need to depict each other more honestly, less aggressively, and with fewer distortions. Moreover, the U.S./USSR Textbook Study Project, a step in the right direction, needs to be revived, enlarged, and ultimately to involve and affect more teachers and students in both countries. (LH)