John D. Richards

Book Reviews : The Handbook of Research Synthesis, edited by Harris Cooper and Larry V. Hedges. New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1994, 573 pp

Books applicable to the broad field of program evaluation are reviewed. Books may be reviewed singly or in groups to illuminate similarities and differences in intent, philosophy, and usefulness. Persons with suggestions of books to be reviewed or those who wish to submit a review should contact Dr. Byron R. Burnham (Associate Dean, Learning Resource Program, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-4900; phone: 801-797-1637) for specific instructions. In general, a review of an individual book should not exceed four double-spaced typewritten pages; groups of books may require additional lengths.

Book Reviews : Categorical Longitudinal Data; Log-Linear Panel, Trend, and Cohort Analysis, by Jacques A. Hagenaars Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications, 1990, 398 pp:

texts dealing with longitudinal data. The focus is on the analysis of survey data that is of a qualitative categorical nature gathered at &dquo;few discrete, irregularly spaced moments&dquo; (p. 8) rather than the more desirable quantitative ratio-type data obtained in traditional experiments. The log-linear model is a major feature in this book as well as the use of latent variables for dealing with the substantive problems incurred when using categorical data. The first chapter contains a brief discussion on the nature of social change and the types of data available to study such change. The type of data, whether interval/ratio, such as age and income or categorical such as gender and marital status, determines the analytical techniques that can be used. Most textbooks focus on interval/ratio data

Book Reviews : School-Centred Management Training, by Mike Wallace. London, England: Paul Chapman Publishing Ltd, 1991,190 pp

John D. Richards Directorate of Evaluation & Standardization, U.S. Army Medical Department Center and School, Fort Sam Houston, Texas 78234-6100 This text grew out of the author’s frustration with existing management training programmes. Courses appeared to have been designed without regard for the audience and used practical exercises and examples that were far removed from the educators’ reality. What follows is a carefully laid-out plan for developing a management training programme that is audience-based, supported by relevant learning activities, and evaluated to determine its effectiveness.

Book Reviews : Studying Families, by Anne P. Copeland and Kathleen M. White. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Applied Social Research Methods Series, Volume 27, 1991, 116 pp

John D. Richards Behavioral Science Division, Academy of Health Sciences, Fort Sam Houston, Texas 78234-6100. Family Studies makes several important contributions to the research methodology available to the social scientist. It begins by defining the family as a unique entity; &dquo;neither simply a collection of individuals nor just another social group&dquo; (p. vii). Families differ from other groups in that they have 1) a shared history, 2) a shared future, 3) a shared biology, and 4) a built-in power hierarchy. While other groups may to some extent have 1, 2, and 4 above, number 3 is pretty much unique to families. The combination of these factors makes the study of families far more complex than the study of groups made up of nonrelated individuals. Chapter 2 is an overview on designing family research with a exposition of the various family models and methods of inquiry. Two special problems exist in the study of families: