This collection investigates the persistent tension between the democratic goals of public education and the individualistic pursuit of social mobility. David Labaree, a prominent scholar of educational history and policy, compiles his influential essays to argue that the American education system is fundamentally structured to produce inequality under the guise of meritocracy. He examines how the market-driven nature of schools often undermines the collective social benefits that public education is intended to provide.

Scholars in the field of educational sociology view this collection as a vital synthesis of Labaree's long-standing critique of the American school system. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a foundational text for those studying the intersection of policy, history, and social stratification.