"The Bell Curve" by Richard J. Herrnstein and Charles A. Murray has ignited a fierce academic debate. They assert that IQ as measured by tests has replaced family wealth and status in determining jobs, income, class, and place in American life; that whites average 15 IQ points higher than blacks; and that high-IQ ruling elites, with fewer children than low-IQ nonwhites, are increasingly restricting nonwhites in ghettoes because of their social problems. This article sets these controversial themes into the context of a brief history of IQ and testing, examines the views of some noted admirers and critics of the book, summarizes Murray's response to his critics, and places IQ and race issues into a social context that considers socioeconomic and political trends. Murray contends that the book does not make as aggressive a case for genetic differences as critics argue. Critics see "The Bell Curve" as a threat to equality of educational oppportunity, and their distress affirms the belief that all people deserve an equal chance. "The Bell Curve" increases fears about race and class relations. (Contains 151 references.) (SLD)