The Shape of the River: Long-Term Consequences of Considering Race in College and University Admissions

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The Shape of the River: Long-Term Consequences Of Considering Race in College and University Admissions

William G. Bowen and Derek Bok. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1998, 472 pp., $24.95

TROY DUSTER

EVERY NOW AND AGAIN, A BOOK IS published that reshapes the territory of the public debate on a topic. Policy makers and politicians, pundits and media commentators, educators and public intellectuals all must take note. While the term "landmark" is probably the most overused term in the language of book reviews, it is demonstrably the most legitimate term to describe the publication of The Shape of the River. Two former college presidents, William …