This book investigates the systemic failures of the American public education system and proposes a market-based alternative to improve educational outcomes. Myron Lieberman, an established scholar in the field of education policy, utilizes historical analysis and economic theory to argue that the monopolistic nature of public schooling prevents necessary innovation and accountability. He posits that introducing competition through privatization and choice-based models is the most viable path toward systemic improvement.

Experts in education policy recognize this work as a significant contribution to the debate on school privatization and market-driven reform. Readers frequently note the dense, analytical nature of the prose, which assumes a foundational understanding of educational economics and political structures.