BY

Thanks are due especially to Dr. Richard Joerger, my faculty adviser, whose long hours of reading and improving multiple copies of my manuscripts is appreciated. It must have seemed like an endless journey to you at times. I would like to also thank the members of my committee, Dr. Roland Peterson (my co-adviser), Dr. John Vreyens, and Dr. Ford Runge. Your help and support has been greatly appreciated. Thank you also to Andrea Wall and Mungwe ABC Athman of the Poverty Eradication Network (PEN) Trust of Dodoma, Tanzania for all of your assistance in coordinating activities with schools in Dodoma and Singida. I could not have accomplished the research in Tanzania without your help. Thank you to Ben Silberglitt for all of your help with statistical design and analysis. Your kindness in helping me to bring this project to fruition was above and beyond the call of duty. Thank you to the board of directors and staff of Books For Africa who supported me in this endeavor over the course of many years of research, coursework and time investment. I appreciate the faith you showed in my efforts. Finally, thank you to my wife Judy and my children, Alex, Sarah, and Julia, for your patience through the years. It would be frightening to add up all of the hours spent away from home attending to class work, away from the dinner table attending to homework, locked away revising manuscripts, or just away. Thank you for your patience through this adventure. i