The Author: Jaan Mikk graduated cum laude from Tartu University and worked as a teacher of physics and mathematics in secondary school. He took postgraduate studies in education at Tartu University and defended his Doctor of Education thesis in Moscow. The topic of his thesis was the optimisation of the level of textbook complicacy. He has supervised the elaboration of a computer based textbook analysis system for Estonian textbooks. Jaan Mikk has published over a hundred papers on textbook research. He is Professor of Education at Tartu University and Vice President of The International Association for Research on Textbooks and Educational Media.

• Contents: Respondent opinions and experiments in the investigation of textbooks – Computer based analysis of textbooks including readability formulae – Rules of clear writing and optimal readability level of textbooks – How to write an interesting text, to compose illustrations and form students’ values.

«... Professor Jaan Mikk has provided a highly useful book for several kinds of readers. Each of the following can find helpful information: one planning to write a textbook; another wishing to evaluate a textbook for appropriateness to given readers; and still another considering research in the area of textbook effectiveness. And each will find in this book a thorough review of work that has been done, along with interpretations of the practical significance of the work ...Professor Mikk has provided readable and useful information in other difficult areas. Statistics and statistical explanations, where he also qualifies as an expert, provide one example; another is what he terms the ‘value forming aspects of textbooks.’ ... Professor Mikk does not hesitate to provide guidelines for the effectiveness of textbooks in this area because, as he says in the Introduction, textbooks are the ‘future of a nation.’ Perhaps no more important reason can be found to read ‘Textbook: Research and Writing’.» (George R. Klare, Professor emeritus, Ohio/USA).

The Author: Jaan Mikk graduated cum laude from Tartu University and worked as a teacher of physics and mathematics in secondary school. He took postgraduate studies in education at Tartu University and defended his Doctor of Education thesis in Moscow. The topic of his thesis was the optimisation of the level of textbook complicacy. He has supervised the elaboration of a computer based textbook analysis system for Estonian textbooks. Jaan Mikk has published over a hundred papers on textbook research. He is Professor of Education at Tartu University and Vice President of The International Association for Research on Textbooks and Educational Media.

• Contents: Respondent opinions and experiments in the investigation of textbooks – Computer based analysis of textbooks including readability formulae – Rules of clear writing and optimal readability level of textbooks – How to write an interesting text, to compose illustrations and form students’ values.

«... Professor Jaan Mikk has provided a highly useful book for several kinds of readers. Each of the following can find helpful information: one planning to write a textbook; another wishing to evaluate a textbook for appropriateness to given readers; and still another considering research in the area of textbook effectiveness. And each will find in this book a thorough review of work that has been done, along with interpretations of the practical significance of the work ...Professor Mikk has provided readable and useful information in other difficult areas. Statistics and statistical explanations, where he also qualifies as an expert, provide one example; another is what he terms the ‘value forming aspects of textbooks.’ ... Professor Mikk does not hesitate to provide guidelines for the effectiveness of textbooks in this area because, as he says in the Introduction, textbooks are the ‘future of a nation.’ Perhaps no more important reason can be found to read ‘Textbook: Research and Writing’.» (George R. Klare, Professor emeritus, Ohio/USA).

The Author: Jaan Mikk graduated cum laude from Tartu University and worked as a teacher of physics and mathematics in secondary school. He took postgraduate studies in education at Tartu University and defended his Doctor of Education thesis in Moscow. The topic of his thesis was the optimisation of the level of textbook complicacy. He has supervised the elaboration of a computer based textbook analysis system for Estonian textbooks. Jaan Mikk has published over a hundred papers on textbook research. He is Professor of Education at Tartu University and Vice President of The International Association for Research on Textbooks and Educational Media.

• Contents: Respondent opinions and experiments in the investigation of textbooks – Computer based analysis of textbooks including readability formulae – Rules of clear writing and optimal readability level of textbooks – How to write an interesting text, to compose illustrations and form students’ values.

«... Professor Jaan Mikk has provided a highly useful book for several kinds of readers. Each of the following can find helpful information: one planning to write a textbook; another wishing to evaluate a textbook for appropriateness to given readers; and still another considering research in the area of textbook effectiveness. And each will find in this book a thorough review of work that has been done, along with interpretations of the practical significance of the work ...Professor Mikk has provided readable and useful information in other difficult areas. Statistics and statistical explanations, where he also qualifies as an expert, provide one example; another is what he terms the ‘value forming aspects of textbooks.’ ... Professor Mikk does not hesitate to provide guidelines for the effectiveness of textbooks in this area because, as he says in the Introduction, textbooks are the ‘future of a nation.’ Perhaps no more important reason can be found to read ‘Textbook: Research and Writing’.» (George R. Klare, Professor emeritus, Ohio/USA).