Told by the people who lived it and made it happen, this is the story of the independent publishing firm of Houghton Mifflin from World War II through the 1990s. The book pays particular attention to the educational divisions, and therefore is a primer for all who would like to gain an understanding of how learning occurs. Houghton was an author-centered house, recruiting authors who were experts in their fields to develop textbooks that delivered the best learning programs for such subjects as reading, mathematics, and language arts. Houghton was also prominent in developing and publishing standardized tests-the tools to examine, analyze, and prescribe what each student, school, and system need to achieve success.