Book Review: Patrick Ainley, Betraying a Generation: How Education is Failing Young People

Betraying a Generation is published by Policy Press as part of its 'Shorts' series, texts of between 20,000 and 50,000 words, which aim to critically review topical issues in a concise and accessible fashion - and this book certainly does that. As readers of this journal will know, Patrick Ainley always writes in an incisive and engaging fashion but Betraying a Generation provides a particularly lucid and authoritative critique of contemporary trends in education and society more broadly textendash and the far-reaching consequences of such changes for young people in particular. It is aimed at a range of audiences but will be particularly useful for teachers and academics working with students across the social sciences and humanities. The book also offers a welcome antidote to the now notoriously narrow, instrumental nature of teacher education, youth work and other forms vocational training aimed at those preparing to work with children and young people. In fact, it should be essential reading for those involved with such programmes.