Synopsis
For grades nine and up, Henderson provides a guide to capital punishment, including its history, pros and cons, legal issues, politics, explanations of the law and specific death penalty cases, a chronology, biographical sketches of key figures, and tips on research. One third of the book consists of an annotated bibliography, organized by topic, to aid in further research. Appendices feature excerpts from court rulings and a list of organizations and agencies. The third edition reflects changes in recent law and the influence of DNA testing. Henderson is a writer and editor. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Amy Luedtke - VOYA
This no-nonsense book is unlikely to catch anyone's eye, but it is packed with information useful for students researching capital punishment. The book begins with an overview of capital punishment, including its history and an exploration of the arguments for and against its use. Henderson treats this divisive issue with an evenhanded tone that is respectful to multiple points of view while exploring how political, social, and historical factors affect public opinion about capital punishment. He examines the law of capital punishment and includes a summary of capital punishment law by state and a review of important U.S. Supreme Court decisions. Students will greatly appreciate the statistical information in an appendix that has charts and graphs on topics such as annual total executions and trends in support for capital punishment. Those wishing to do in-depth research will find a valuable starting place in the list of organizations and agencies that work on death-penalty issues and an extensive annotated bibliography. Although extremely informative and easy-to-use, this book is very dry and only dedicated (or desperate) teens are likely to have the patience to use it. The book has no illustrations (besides the charts in Appendix A), and the layout is very bland. It is admirable that Henderson remains objective and sticks to the facts in his coverage of this emotional topic, but some personal accounts (from the condemned or from victim's relatives) could give the subject a human face and enhance readers' understanding of its complexity. 2006, Facts on File, 316p.; Glossary. Index. Charts. Graphs. Biblio. Chronology. Appendix., PLB $45.. Ages 12 to Adult.