In Education Matters: Global Schooling Gains from the 19th to the 21st Century (Oxford University Press), Robert Barro and Jong-Wha Lee present a revolutionary new data set on education in 146 countries since 1870 and projected through 2040. Barro and Lee evaluate schooling both quantitatively and qualitatively and assess the role of education in economic and political development. In this comprehensive study, Barro and Lee establish the critical role that education plays - particularly for women and girls - in economic growth, fertility, and democracy.