Euthanasia: Debate Over the Right to Die

School Library Journal

Gr 6-8-These titles present balanced, well-researched, and clear positions on contemporary medical-ethics debates. Nearly half of Euthanasia is devoted to the many complexities and moral layers involved in such decisions, citing specific legal cases and various international and state judicial stances, building up to the major confrontation: Is euthanasia a form of suicide or is it murder? The continued legal morass that this question leads to is spotlighted by chapters devoted to the Nazi euthanasia program and the ongoing question of who should decide. Fertility Technology, on the other hand, covers scientific discoveries that have enabled infertile couples to produce children. With a careful nod to the sexual aspects of conception, the book quickly segues into the types of, causes of, and treatments for infertility. The debate grapples with the ethics of using advancing technologies to create life, whereas Euthanasia focuses on the moral and legal issues, with little emphasis on the science. Both present accessible arguments using large fonts and full-color photos. Both titles include simple glossaries, though most terms are explained in the texts. Kathlyn Gay's The Right to Die (Millbrook, 1993) and Richard Walker's A Right to Die? (Watts, 1997) cover similar ground, but little is available on fertility technology for this age range. Solid sources of up-to-date, basic information for reports or classroom debates.-Mary R. Hofmann, Rivera Middle School, Merced, CA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.