Radest reviews the history and present practice of community service in the United States. While appreciative of the genuine contributions of community service programs to the development of schools and society, the author believes that hidden behind good intentions and willing energies there is a strain of ambivalence that cannot be ignored (such as when a citizen is sentenced by the court to perform a number of hours of community service). He analyzes philosophically and psychologically this ambivalence, employing his experience in the field, his observations of school and community-based programs around the country, as well as his point of view as an educator and social critic.