This new edition also includes an updated chronology of important dates, and a completely revised bibliographic essay to guide readers on literature in the field. "[This] book, as Bremner points out, is not encyclopedic.

Bremner has an astonishing knowledge of the cultural context and the economic contents of philanthropy. As a result, this volume is intriguing as well as important history, written with lively style and wit.

This collection of essays examines the conception of the Juvenile Court in America, together with its shortcomings and prospects for change.