valuation: A Systematic Approach, by Peter H. Rossi, Mark W. Lipsey, and Gary T. Henry, is the best-selling comprehensive introduction to the field of program evaluation, covering the range of evaluation research activities used in appraising the design, implementation, effectiveness, and efficiency of social programs. Evaluation domains are presented in a coherent framework that not only explores each, but recognizes their interrelationships, their role in improving social programs and the outcomes they are designed to affect, and their embeddedness in social and political context.   
Relied on as the "gold standard" by professors, students, and practitioners for 40 years, the new Eighth Edition includes a new practical chapter on planning an evaluation, entirely new examples throughout, and a major re-organization of the book’s content to better serve the needs of program evaluation courses
Review
"This thoughtfully-designed text provides an update on a classic tool for understanding evaluation." -- Brian Boggs
"This is another exceptional work by the authors. This book not only helps novice evaluators, it also provides tools for expert evaluators. This new edition brings new cases and exhibits that connect the theory to practice and contextualizes the content for students: students can visualize and understand the content as they relate it to their own professional lives." -- Osman Özturgut
"The material in the Eighth Edition is effectively sequenced, and the technical orientation of the chapters makes the book an indispensable partner even for seasoned scholars and practitioners in the art of program evaluation." -- Kalu Kalu
"I have used previous editions of this text either as a student or professor for 20 years. This new edition is a great update of a reliable textbook on evaluation, including updated terminology and methodology." -- Kimberley Shoaf
"The Eighth Edition of Evaluation is a massive improvement on an already stellar text. The breadth and depth of coverage―while still keeping a practical focus―make this the go-to book for program evaluation classes and practitioners alike." -- B. Andrew Chupp