David W. Johnson is Emeritus Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Minnesota.

• 1. Need for constructive controversy?; 2. The nature of constructive controversy; 3. Theory of constructive controversy; 4. The processes of constructive controversy and concurrence seeking; 5. The outcomes of constructive controversy; 6. Conditions mediating the effects of constructive controversy; 7. Constructive controversy and decision making; 8. Constructive controversy in education; 9. Constructive controversy and political discourse in democracies; 10. Constructive controversy, creativity, and innovation; 11. Constructive controversy and building and maintaining peace; 12. Conclusions.

'This book is a must-read for any scholar and practitioner who is interested in constructive controversy. It provides a breathtaking journey in the history of one of the most powerful mechanisms in social interaction, and a wealth of insights on how to foster informed political decisions, accompany accurate professional choices, and elicit diversified learning.' Fabrizio Butera, University of Lausanne