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Re: improving textbooks -- some modest proposals



Hi all-
I'm not aware of any committee that's doing quite what John
suggests. I reviewed for Science Books and Films for a while and then
quit in disgust at their editing process. One unformatted paragraph by
one volunteer flunks the credibility test, even when the volunteer is me.
I suggest reviewing John's idea in depth, and would invite Chris
to supply more details.
Regards,
Jack

On Sun, 17 Feb 2002, Chris Horton wrote:

John Clement wrote:

<< I think the first step would be to put together a professional committee
from AAPT members that could carefully scrutinize every new MS and HS
textbook with any physics in it. The reports would have to be published
openly with all errors exposed on a web site...>>

There are already processes for reviewing textbooks. There is even a
newsletter, with a highly competent set of contributers, devoted to this.
Also the "Physics Teacher" reviews physics texts, and other journals review
texts in their own areas. I lost the details in a hard drive crash but some
of the readers may know.

The state commissions and textbook manufacturers have always completely
ignored such feedback. Why would a new committee get different results?

Chris Horton


--
"But as much as I love and respect you, I will beat you and I will kill
you, because that is what I must do. Tonight it is only you and me, fish.
It is your strength against my intelligence. It is a veritable potpourri
of metaphor, every nuance of which is fraught with meaning."
Greg Nagan from "The Old Man and the Sea" in
<The 5-MINUTE ILIAD and Other Classics>