The book has a twofold goal: to give an overview of the research in the area of textbook and to supply textbook authors and editors with the concrete suggestions for composing an effective textbook. The conclusions and suggestions are based on an overview of more than 500 sources of literature and many experimental studies of the author. The first part of the book investigates the methods for textbook evaluation: experiments, expert opinions, and textbook analysis. Special attention is given to the analysis of textbook feasibility before printing and to the exact criteria of appropriateness of textbooks for students of different grades and ability levels. Readability formulae and their use via computer are thoroughly discussed. The second part of the book begins with the rules of clear writing: their basis, the examples of application and efficiency. Beside that, some other important topics are examined: the possibilities of motivating students and arousing their interest in textbooks; the characteristics of influential illustrations and their relations to the text; the value forming aspects of textbooks. Textbooks form students’ attitudes to other people, form their goals and self-esteem. This way the textbooks influence the fate of our youth. Textbooks deserve keen attention of society.

The Author: Jaan Mikk graduated cum laude from Tartu University and worked as a teacher of physics and mathematics in secondary school. He took postgraduate studies in education at Tartu University and defended his Doctor of Education thesis in Moscow. The topic of his thesis was the optimisation of the level of textbook complicacy. He has supervised the elaboration of a computer based textbook analysis system for Estonian textbooks. Jaan Mikk has published over a hundred papers on textbook research. He is Professor of Education at Tartu University and Vice President of The International Association for Research on Textbooks and Educational Media.