The launch ofa new book series is always a challenging eventn ot only
for the Editorial Board and the Publisher, but also, and more
particularly, for the first author. Both the Editorial Board and the
Publisher are delightedt hat the first author in this series isw ell
able to meet the challenge. Professor Freudenthal needs no introduction
toanyone in the Mathematics Education field and it is particularly
fitting that his book should be the first in this new series because it
was in 1968 that he, and Reidel, produced the first issue oft he journal
Edu cational Studies in Mathematics. Breakingfresh ground is therefore
nothing new to Professor Freudenthal and this book illustrates well his
pleasure at such a task. To be strictly correct the 'ground' which he
has broken here is not new, but aswith Mathematics as an Educational
Task and Weeding and Sowing, it is rather the novelty oft he manner in
which he has carried out his analysis which provides us with so many
fresh perspectives. It is our intention that this new book series should
provide those who work int he emerging discipline of
mathematicseducation with an essential resource, and at a time of
considerable concern about the whole mathematics cu rriculum this book
represents just such resource. ALAN J. BISHOP Managing Editor vii A LOOK
BACKWARD AND A LOOK FORWARD Men die, systems last.