The Book of Learning and Forgetting (ISBN 080773750X) is a 1998 book in which author Frank Smith investigates the history of learning theories and the events that shaped our current educational structure.
[1] Smith distinguishes between the "classical" and the "official" theories of learning.
The classical view holds that people are constantly and effortlessly learning through immersion in a social community and its practices, and that this process of learning is universal.
The official view suggests that learning requires effort, and that it only occurs when a student is being presented with the information.
Smith details the way in which the official view has gained acceptance despite its many negative results.