  Based on Compton scattering and meson photoproduction data the
polarizabilities of the nucleon are precisely studied and well understood due
to recent experimental and theoretical work based on nonsubtracted dispersion
relations. The {\it recommended} experimental values are $\alpha_p=12.0\pm
0.6$, $(12.0)$, $\beta_p=1.9\mp 0.6$, $(1.9)$, $\alpha_n=12.5\pm 1.7$,
$(12.7\pm 0.9)$, $\beta_n=2.7\mp 1.8$, $(2.5\mp 0.9)$ in units of
$10^{-4}$fm$^3$ and $\gamma^{(p)}_\pi=-36.4\pm 1.5$, $(-36.6)$,
$\gamma^{(n)}_\pi=+58.6\pm 4.0$, $(58.3)$, $(\gamma^{(p)}_0=-0.58\pm 0.20)$,
$\gamma^{(n)}_0=0.38\pm 0.22)$ in units of $10^{-4}$fm$^4$ [1]. The numbers
given in parentheses are predicted values. It is shown that all versions of
chiral effective field theories applied in analyses of nucleon polarizabilities
and Compton scattering ignore essential effects of $\omega$, $\rho$ and
$\sigma$ exchanges and of pseudoscalar $\pi$N coupling.
