Introduction: Three's company -- The wonder years: the wild world of NYC preschools -- Gilligan's Island: stranded on a tropical island with a strange cast of characters -- Mission impossible: welcome to Shanghai -- Star trek: the next generation: education as a national value -- Get smart: the meaning of mastery -- The A team: China tops the global scene -- Growing pains: coming "Home" to Japan? -- Mr. Rogers' neighborhood: the community raises the independent and whole child -- Macgyver: the problem-solving stuntman in the classroom, the teacher -- Wonder woman: the mom behind the scenes -- The twilight zone: our worst year in the best-ranked school district -- Who's the boss? Education in a nation where capitalism, individuality, and freedom prevail -- Cheers: to the great potential of the USA -- Afterword: 20/20: hindsight

"Combining the humor and warmth of Bringing Up Baby with the insight of The Smartest Kids in the World, World Class is a firsthand exploration of how American schools are failing our children, and what parents can learn from the Asian education system to help our children excel in today's competitive world"--