1. Richard Bates (International Journal of Educational Development, 2005): “This is a deeply impressive book. Its major achievement is to provide a sophisticated but intelligible account of liberalism…the scholarship behind these arguments is impressive” Richard Bates (International Journal of Educational Development, 2005): “This is a deeply impressive book. Its major achievement is to provide a sophisticated but intelligible account of liberalism…the scholarship behind these arguments is impressive” David Gosling (Higher Education Review,Vol. 38, 1, pp. 76 – 79, 2005): “This ambitious book aims to place education policy within a broad framework of political thought….The reader will appreciate something of the scope of the book by appreciating the range of topics that are tackled - - Foucauldian approaches to critical policy analysis, classical liberalism, social democratic liberalism (including the role of the welfare state), the ascendancy of neoliberalism, and its impact of institutional restructuring, marketisation of education, the discourse of choice, Rawlsian theories of distributive justice, communitarianism, globalisation, and democracy” David Gosling (Higher Education Review,Vol. 38, 1, pp. 76 – 79, 2005): “This ambitious book aims to place education policy within a broad framework of political thought….The reader will appreciate something of the scope of the book by appreciating the range of topics that are tackled - - Foucauldian approaches to critical policy analysis, classical liberalism, social democratic liberalism (including the role of the welfare state), the ascendancy of neoliberalism, and its impact of institutional restructuring, marketisation of education, the discourse of choice, Rawlsian theories of distributive justice, communitarianism, globalisation, and democracy” Debra Aarons, (Education Review, 2006): “It is rare for books with such ambitious scope as this one to appear within educational scholarship. The bold project undertaken by a team of prominent academics from New Zealand – although Olssen is now based in London – is a very significant addition to currently available work on education policy” Debra Aarons, (Education Review, 2006): “It is rare for books with such ambitious scope as this one to appear within educational scholarship. The bold project undertaken by a team of prominent academics from New Zealand – although Olssen is now based in London – is a very significant addition to currently available work on education policy” Brian Jones (Citizenship, Social and Economics Education, Vol. 7, 1, pp. 67 – 68, 2006): “The book is a tour de force that skilfully, diligently and carefully maps a broad array of theoretical strands, arguments and debates” Brian Jones (Citizenship, Social and Economics Education, Vol. 7, 1, pp. 67 – 68, 2006): “The book is a tour de force that skilfully, diligently and carefully maps a broad array of theoretical strands, arguments and debates” Ian Mentor (University of Glasgow, UK): “What this book does with considerable panache is to deconstruct the dominant ideologies of Third Way and/or neo-liberal politics, as they have impacted on education systems in the developed world” Ian Mentor (University of Glasgow, UK): “What this book does with considerable panache is to deconstruct the dominant ideologies of Third Way and/or neo-liberal politics, as they have impacted on education systems in the developed world” Meg McQuire, (Learning for Democracy, Vol. 2, 1, pp. 86 – 89, 2006) “What emerges is an impressively researched book (excellent bibliography and thoughtful endnotes) which contains an engaged discussion of the potential of education and education policy in changing times…This book offers a rich, reflexive and multi- disciplinary approach towards complex problems” Meg McQuire, (Learning for Democracy, Vol. 2, 1, pp. 86 – 89, 2006) “What emerges is an impressively researched book (excellent bibliography and thoughtful endnotes) which contains an engaged discussion of the potential of education and education policy in changing times…This book offers a rich, reflexive and multi- disciplinary approach towards complex problems” Richard Smith, (Access., Vol. 25, 2, pp. 79-82, 2006): “To review a book of this quality I considered it necessary to undertake some minimal background research. [The] …glowing reviews are indeed richly deserved” Richard Smith, (Access., Vol. 25, 2, pp. 79-82, 2006): “To review a book of this quality I considered it necessary to undertake some minimal background research. [The] …glowing reviews are indeed richly deserved” Julia Preece, International Review of Education, Vol. 51, No’s 2/3, pp. 247-256, 2006): “[The book provides a comprehensive review of some major themes in contemporary education policy making whilst attempting to offer real alternatives to the neoliberal dilemma” Julia Preece, International Review of Education, Vol. 51, No’s 2/3, pp. 247-256, 2006): “[The book provides a comprehensive review of some major themes in contemporary education policy making whilst attempting to offer real alternatives to the neoliberal dilemma” Ramesh Kumar Mishra (Compare, Vol. 35, 4, December 2005, pp. 497 – 499): “The book is certainly a remarkable achievement in the domain of educational philosophy and has enormous pedagogic values for both practitioners and students” Ramesh Kumar Mishra (Compare, Vol. 35, 4, December 2005, pp. 497 – 499): “The book is certainly a remarkable achievement in the domain of educational philosophy and has enormous pedagogic values for both practitioners and students”