Book Reviews : UNESCO: Assessment and Promise. By GEORGE N. SHUSTER. (New York: Harper & Row, 1963. Pp. xiv, 130. $2.95.)

• Author: Brownlee Sands Corrin
• Date: 01 December 1964
• DOI: 10.1177/106591296401700461
• Published date: 01 December 1964
• Subject Matter: Articles

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UNESCO: Assessment and Promise. By GEORGE N. SHUSTER. (New York: Harper
& Row, 1963. Pp. xiv, 130. $2.95.)
The adage, &dquo;good things come in small packages,&dquo; is particularly applicable to
this clear, readable description and evaluation of UNESCO written by George Shus-
ter and published by the Council on Foreign Relations. The author, a former Presi-
dent of Hunter College, was active in the affairs of this Specialized Agency from its
inception; and the thoughtful unfolding of the life, trials, strengths, and limitations
of UNESCO reflects the sensitivity, feeling, humor, and awareness of a person who
possesses an unusual grasp of human hopes, goals, and possibilities as well as pro-
fessional experience.
The author avoids the trap of dry elaboration of structural format and descrip-
tion of formal purposes in textual content by providing such material in an Appen-
dix. The person being exposed to UNESCO for the first time, or the reader desiring
a &dquo;refresher&dquo; in this area, may well start here; while those relatively well-acquainted
with the subject are free to take an immediate plunge into Mr. Shuster’s stimulating
writing.
UNESCO
is treated from five points of view: how it came into being; what it is
-
the basic programs and services; what it is in terms of developing operations; what
it is not -
emphasizing the scopes and limitations; and the mechanics of American
participation. The titles, unfortunately, do not suggest the quality of content. Mr.
Shuster when writing of UNESCO administration and its limitations, presents his
views analytically and, at the same time injects a description of the personalities and
...