The book "Literature, Pedagogy, and Curriculum in Secondary Education" by M. Martin Guiney examines the role of literature in education and advocates for its central importance in the secondary school curriculum. Guiney highlights the historical debate between disinterested disciplines that view art for its own sake and utilitarian approaches that emphasize the practical benefits of literature. Rather than supporting the traditional view that literature is a unique spiritual resource, the author argues that literary pedagogy should promote the connection between the classroom and the outside world. He emphasizes the need for individuals to become conscious producers of culture rather than merely consumers, achieved through an active process of literary reading and writing. Guiney uses the history of French curriculum reforms as a case study to redefine the social value of literature and place it in a contemporary context.