First published in 1985. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

ABSTRACT This extended book review subjects a recent introduction to character education, by Watts, Fullard and Peterson, to critical scrutiny. While questioning some of the framing by the authors of intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation and their specification of the core concept of ‘character’, I conclude that this book both exemplifies the complex challenges of the field and is a useful primer for those wanting to read a broad and useful mapping of the terrain of character education.