Sex

KLIATT

This excellent anthology series presents both pro and con opinions on a variety of current issues. For example, Problems of Death examines whether suicide is immoral, whether society should condone physician-assisted suicide, whether abortion is ethical, and whether capital punishment is just, with between 4-6 brief article excerpts on each topic offering contrasting views. For instance, the executive director of the Hemlock Society urges the legalization of physician-assisted suicide; the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention weighs in against it. Other authors are newspaper reporters and professors. The introduction to the book sets out the issues, and chapter prefaces provide an overview of the opinions expressed in the essays. Each article is introduced with a brief summary and information about its author, along with questions to consider. Editorial cartoons provide other perspectives, and there are boxed quotes here and there. Periodical bibliographies at the end of each chapter are intended to supplement the views presented. Questions for discussion are offered at the end of the book, along with an annotated list of organizations to contact. The other books in the series have similar formats, exposing students to different sides of the various debates and promoting discussion and critical reading skills. Titles to come in 2001 include Endangered Species, Feminism, Gangs, Genetic Engineering, Islam, Police Brutality, Political Scandal, Race Relations, Russia, Teenage Sexuality, and Terminal Illness. (Opposing Viewpoints). KLIATT Codes: SA—Recommended for senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2000, Greenhaven Press, 218p, 99-059374, bibliog,indexes, 23 cm, $14.86. Ages 16 to adult. Reviewer: Paula Rohrlick; January 2001 (Vol. 35 No. 1)

School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-This excellent collection addresses four major areas of controversy-the erosion of sexual ethics, sexual norms, sex education, and some specific behaviors. Within each major area, three topics are studied, with paired articles presenting the pro and con viewpoints. These include the research of Alfred Kinsey, sexual freedom, same-sex marriage, virginity pledges, cohabitation, abstinence-only programs, gay-tolerance education, pornography, and prostitution. The articles are drawn from professional journals, popular periodicals, organizational Web sites, and government documents. Most were written between 2003 and 2005. The authors include professors, journalists, attorneys, representatives and officials of proactive organizations for various causes, and even those with personal experience, such as Heidi Fleiss ("Prostitution Should Be Legalized"). Many of the articles have been edited for brevity and clarity. Full citations are given. The writing is generally clear, occasionally lively and personal, and at times impassioned. Each chapter opens with a concise, context-creating essay and concludes with a list of additional articles on the topics. Each piece begins with a brief summary, professional identification of the author, and questions to consider. Back matter includes further questions for discussion and a list of organizations. Not light reading, but intriguing in its revelation of the many facets of the controversies surrounding the personal and social impact of human sexuality, this volume will be helpful to researchers and those seeking to understand their opponents' viewpoints as well as their own.-Joyce Adams Burner, Hillcrest Library, Prairie Village, KS Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.