At a time when sociology of education has been under attack, and when curiculum innovation has been transposed into "nations at risk" and "national curriculum", Goodson and Walker have written a book with a simple theme. It is a restatement of the central role that people play in the educational process and in educational systems. In "Biography, Identity and Schooling" they relate their work on curriculum reform to the succession of changes in the sociology of education, using it as a starting point for setting new directions.