This book presents a comprehensive examination of the nature and scope of the literature on adult education. It includes the historical perspective and interpretation necessary to understand links between the diverse and seemingly separate aspects of the field. The volume describes over 1,200 books, tracing the development of basic theories and practices and identifying major accomplishments. Part 1 includes four chapters that deal with the emergence and growth of the field of adult education as a whole: history, general description and analysis, concerns of its leaders, and nature of adult learners. Part 2 includes five chapters about providers and goals of adult education: institutions first created for the formal schooling of children and youth; institutions created for lifelong learning; institutions and programs intended from the start to serve an adult clientele; and purposes that have given emphasis and weight to the field and define such significant sectors of service as adult basic education, continuing professional education, human resource development, and sensitivity training to foster human interaction. Two chapters in Part 3 treat the practice of adult education: broad approaches to program design and its component parts and major formats and settings in which learning occurs. Each book is usually cited by author and date in the place where its topic fits best; some works have pertinence to two or more sections and have multiple citations. A 200-page bibliography reflects all the works discussed. Name and subject indexes are provided. (YLB)