“Zhao’s audience of educational researchers, faculty of higher education, school administrators, and classroom teachers will not only be intrigued by Zhao’s findings, but inspired to advocate for a much-needed shift in how educational initiatives are brought into schools.”
―Teachers College Record
“In "What Works May Hurt: Side Effects in Education" Professor Zhao draws upon his years of research, experience and expertise in the area of educational reforms. . . very highly recommended for school district, college, and university Educational Issues & Teacher Education collections.”
-Midwest Book Review, Wisconsin Bookwatch
“Yong Zhao has written a highly readable and important book about the side effects—the unintended consequences—of education reforms. Every educator and researcher should read this book and take its lessons to heart.”
—Diane Ravitch, New York University
"As he did in Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Dragon, Yong Zhao has again produced a stunning analysis of the problems encountered in our efforts to improve education. In What Works May Hurt, he has succeeded in demonstrating that the schooling of youngsters is at least as complex as marriage, war, or religion. If he has not delivered the death blow to naive empiricism, he has at least severely wounded it."
—Gene V. Glass, San José State University
"What Works May Hurt puts together a convincing argument, supported by a wide range of evidence, that we must begin to mind the unintended side effects of educational ‘treatments’ just as we have done with medical procedures and products. This book is a brilliantly written analysis of well-known educational change efforts followed by a concrete call for action that no policymaker, researcher, teacher, or education reform advocate should leave unread. If taken to action, Yong Zhao could become a long-awaited peacemaker in century-old political and educational rivalries and an advisor to those who hold the power to design sustainable education policies to benefit all the children in the United States and beyond."
—Pasi Sahlberg, Professor of Education Policy, Gonski Institute for Education, University of New South Wales, Sydney
“In this wonderful and crucial book, Zhao has made clear that the obsession with testing in our public schools has hurt students, teachers, and the quality of the citizens produced by our schools. Nothing less than the future of the republic is dealt with in this most thoughtful book about the field of educational research and policy.”
—David C. Berliner, Regents’ Professor Emeritus, Arizona State University
