The book's chapters deal successively with television as an object of concern; Pastore's inquiry; the response of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare; the Surgeon General's advisory committee; what the researchers found in the lab, the field, and the broadcast industry; how the findings were communicated, and how the critics and the industry responded. The authors also consider the government's effectiveness when dealing with social objectives and the influence of citizen action on our communication systems. Their overwhelming conclusion, as reflected in the book, is that the nation's institutions are ill-equipped for recruiting expert talent, providing clear findings, and carrying out objectives in this area of delicate human concern.