Animal Rights
Lisa Yount. New York : Facts on File, c2004. 298pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks HV4708 .Y84 2004
Whether praised, criticized, or dismissed, the quest for better treatment of animals—even perhaps extending to granting them some form of legal rights—has already made significant changes in Western society and law, and it may well make more profound ones in the decades to come. Most states and countries have laws against cruelty to animals, though the penalties for breaking these laws are often slight and the types of animals covered are limited. Wildlife species are protected if they are in danger of extinction. Regulations, not always carrying the force of law, place some limits on the treatment of animals in laboratories and on farms. For the most part, however, animals are legally regarded as property that their owners can use however they wish.
Dealing with a contentious topic that animal rightist attorney Gary Francione has hailed as “the civil rights movement of the 21st century,” Animal Rights examines all sides of the debate regarding animal welfare in contemporary American society. Providing a broad overview to the topic, this invaluable reference resource helps students, teachers, librarians, journalists, and others involved in animal rights issues define, understand, and research this topic.

The Arab-Israel Dispute
Don Peretz. New York : Facts On File, 1996. 288pp.
MSU Main Library Reference DS119.7 .P4497 1996
The dispute, now in its second century, between indigenous Palestinians and the European-born Zionist movement has been a focus of international attention since World War I. The Arab-Israel Dispute profiles this conflict, from its historical roots to the present.

Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering
Lisa Yount. New York : Facts On File, 2000. 280pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks TP248.23 .Y684 2000
Such recent advances as the first successfully cloned human embryo, the use of DNA 'fingerprinting' in criminal trials, and the race to complete the Human Genome Project have created social, ethical, and legal issues that courts and legislatures are beginning to address. Policies, regulations, and court decisions in the field thus far have already had major effects on business, society, and the justice system. They are sure to have even more profound impacts in the future.

Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering
Lisa Yount. New York : Facts On File, 2004. 320pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks TP248.23 .Y684 2004
In April 2003, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium announced completion of the Human Genome Project, a decade-long effort to obtain the complete readout of some 3 billion “letters’” worth of code containing all the inherited information that specifies the characteristics of a human being. Groundbreaking recent events such as this make the revised edition a necessity.
Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Revised Edition includes new material on biotechnology as a business, new events in agricultural biotechnology, forensic and other DNA identification databases, research cloning, and the debate concerning embryonic stem cells. Looking to the future of biotechnology and genetic engineering, a new section considers the connection between biotechnology and bioterrorism. This revised edition features new legislation, biographies, chronology and glossary entries, an almost entirely new bibliography including recent material in all subject areas, and the President's Council on Bioethics cloning report. An indispensable reference to important issues of today, this volume in the acclaimed Library in a Book series examines the issues surrounding the changing role of genetic technology and how our society and lawmakers are attempting to deal with them.

Campaign and Election Reform
Harry Henderson. New York : Facts On File, 2004. 320pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks JK1976 .H46 2004
Since the mid-1990s, the public has shown renewed interest and concern about the effects on the election process of large campaign contributions from special interest groups to parties and candidates. In all the elections of 2000 (state, local, and federal), about $3 billion was spent by the two major parties, an estimated $460 million of it being the unregulated funds called "soft money." Although campaign finance reform was the aspect of electoral reform that captured the most public attention in the 1990s, an equally important consideration brought to the forefront during the fall of 2000 is how the actual elections are run, from methods of voter registration to technology for both casting and counting votes to the role the media plays in calling an election.
Campaign and Election Reform deals with a large range of issues related to this topic. It examines important questions such as how candidates raise campaign funds and what contributors expect from them in return; whether there should be legal limits on how much money candidates can raise or spend; and the role of corporations, unions, and other well-funded interest groups in raising campaign contributions.

Capital Punishment
Stephen A. Flanders. New York : Facts On File, 1991. 200pp.
MSU Gast Business Library KF9227.C2 F53 1990
Reviews the history and current status of the death penalty in the U.S., focusing on the legal and ethical issues of its use by the criminal justice system.

Capital Punishment
Harry Henderson. New York : Facts On File, 2000. Revised edition, 300pp.
MSU Gast Business Library KF9227.C2 F53 2000
Societies throughout history have struggled to find appropriate responses to all types of crime -- from kidnapping, drug trafficking, and aircraft piracy to rape and murder. Capital punishment has been criticized as being cruel, as being unfair to minorities, as being unnecessary to deter crime, and as immoral. The use of new DNA techniques to exonerate long-imprisoned convicts may provide a new argument against the imposition of the irrevocable death sentence. Defenders of the death penalty cite the ibblical passage calling for "an eye for an eye", the imposing of a punishment that truly fits the crime, the promotion of deterrence, and the guarantee that an executed criminal will never strike again. Support for capital punishment tends to ebb and flow. Still, the punishment endures and remains highly controversial.

Capital Punishment Revised Edition
Harry Henderson. New York : Facts On File, 2006. Third edition, 320pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks KF9227.C2 F53 2006
With recent advances in DNA testing of stored forensic evidence and ongoing efforts by volunteer advocates, more and more inmates have been found innocent, and opponents of the death penalty argue that many more may be executed for crimes they did not commit if the laws are not changed. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, 35 people on death row have been exonerated since the year 2000. The legal definition of who is eligible for the death penalty is also changing. For instance, in 2002 in Atkins v. Virginia the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional to execute people with mental retardation. These and other important changes make the third edition of Capital Punishment an invaluable reference and research guide to this controversial issue.
Providing approximately 25 percent new material and significant updates, Capital Punishment, Third Edition is especially current. The bibliography has been expanded, and the introduction and certain legal cases have been updated. The chronology now includes appropriate events and policy changes. Since the publication of the last edition, the biographical listings, glossary, and organizations chapters have been revisited. The annotated bibliography and appendixes have been updated to include new sources and recent information. Providing readers with clear and essential information needed to define, understand, and research this important issue, this book is perfect for anyone interested in issues related to capital punishment, including policymakers, administrators, and attorneys, as well as teachers, students, parents, and the general public.

Censorship
Gail Blasser Riley. New York : Facts On File, 1998. 202pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks Z658.U5 R55 1998
Examining all sides and viewpoints of this complicated and ever-evolving issue, Censorship provides an objective overview of the topic and defines it as a restriction of First Amendment rights. This new volume covers more than just the suppression of the written word; it also examines such timely issues as censorship of art, speech, expression, and electronic media, including the Internet. The second part of the book is an extensive, annotated bibliography and guide to further research.

Drug Abuse
Harry Henderson. New York, NY : Facts On File, c2004. 272pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks HV5825 .H435 2005
In 1973 President Richard Nixon declared an “all-out global war” against “the drug menace.” In the ensuing decades, the War on Drugs has grown rapidly, with annual federal spending reaching $13.2 billion in 1995. The impact of the drug war on every aspect of American society has been tremendous. Its casualties can be counted on street corners, in an ever-growing prison population and, many would argue, in an erosion of fundamental rights. With truthful information hard to find, there seems to be no clear way to measure progress in the drug war, let alone to declare victory.
Drug Abuse explores all aspects of this complex and important issue in an unbiased and well-organized manner. It identifies specific drugs, such as alcohol, tobacco, designer drugs, and performance-enhancing drugs, and covers the history of U.S. drug regulation, current approaches to treating addiction, and the way drug abuse has shaped public policy. This valuable reference examines laws such as the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act, the 1937 Marijuana Tax Act, and the 1970 Controlled Substances Act; court cases such as Leary v. United States, United States v. Dunn, and Ferguson v. City of Charleston; and explains the role various federal agencies play in regulating drugs.
Extensive appendixes include a list of acronyms of organizations, drugs, and other terms related to discussions of drug abuse; a list of commonly used street names for drugs; graphs showing the extent of drug abuse and enforcement efforts in the United States; an excerpt of the 1970 Controlled Substances Act; and excerpts from the 2001 United States v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative.

Drugs and Sports
Fred C. Pampel. New York : Facts On File, 2007. 204pp.
On order 08/16/07
Although media headlines associate the use of performance-enhancing drugs with high-profile professional athletes, this problem affects all segments of society. Scandals have publicized a problem that even extends to young boys and girls who attempt to mimic their athletic heroes or use drugs as a way to achieve what they believe is an athletic physique—often causing extensive damage to their physical and emotional health. Many amateur athletes and Olympians have also relied on illegal performance-enhancing drugs in the past, and now their careers are characterized by questions and controversy surrounding their personal or professional ethics.
Drugs and Sports provides an overview of the history of this topic, as well as the opinions surrounding it. From the performance-enhancement methods of the ancient Greeks to the recent accusations of drug use among high-profile professional athletes, this illuminating volume puts this timely issue in context. Contemporary case studies provide multiple perspectives and decisions surrounding this issue while also plotting a course for how drug use in sports will change with advances in technology. Drugs and Sports addresses all sides of this issue, making this the perfect reference for students, teachers, librarians, medical personnel, activists, policymakers, and general readers interested in this topic.
Coverage includes:

Eating Disorders
John R. Matthews. New York : Facts On File, 1991. 168pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks RC552.E18 M38 1991
An ideal starting point for students researching bulimia, anorexia, obesity, and other eating disorders. The volume begins with a discussion of the origins and symptoms of eating disorders and then provides information on treatments.

Ecoterrorism
Douglas Long. New York, NY : Facts On File, c2004. 304pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks GE197 .L66 2004
In 1977 environmental activist Paul Watson, believing that nonviolent direct action tactics did not go far enough to protect animal life in the world’s oceans, split off from Gandhi-inspired Greenpeace to form the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. This new environmental organization raised the stakes on the high seas by using acts of destruction, such as cutting drift nets and ramming whaling ships, to attack commercial fishing operations. Whereas Watson saw himself as a savior of life on Earth, many others saw him as a new breed of environmental, or “eco,” terrorist. Years of environmental conflict led to the birth of ecoterrorism as a tactic for changing policy and alerting the public.
Although the scale of violence, particularly deadly violence, used by ecoterrorists is tiny compared to that carried out by political terrorists, the fact remains that these activists have chosen to work outside the democratic system, using illegal acts of destruction in order to bring attention to their agenda. These radical environmentalists have argued that their campaign is a struggle for liberation akin to such revolutionary acts as the Boston Tea Party. Critics maintain that ecoterrorists operate under the assumption that nature is good and humans are bad and that this is a dangerous philosophy that will ultimately lead the most radical among them to emulate the tactics of the Unabomber or, worse, to acquire and utilize weapons of mass destruction as a means of giving nature the upper hand.
Ecoterrorism provides readers with clear and essential information needed to define, understand, and research this important issue. A lively reference resource and useful research guide, it will aid all interested in ecoterrorism and environmental issues, including policymakers, administrators, attorneys, and advocacy groups as well as teachers, students, parents, and the general public.

Education Reform
Ian C. Friedman. New York, NY : Facts On File, c2004. 264pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks LA212 .F75 2004
The issue of education reform, defined as the effort to improve the quality, methods, and purpose of elementary and secondary schooling in the United States, traces its origins to the inception of public schools, which preceded the founding of the nation by almost 150 years. Since that time, education reform has both reflected and led social change in the United States. The widely held belief that schools play a critically important role in shaping the nation's future has led to intense discussion on a variety of issues, including assimilation of immigrants, integration of African Americans, the role of the federal government, constitutional rights of parents and children, and opportunity for the poor. Advocates in the debate on education reform have often had sharply contrasting views on the leading issues. Today those issues include everything from school choice, vouchers, and charter schools to school uniforms and discipline.
Education Reform examines these and other hotly debated, complex issues surrounding the subject in the United States. Now at a critical stage in their development and implementation, the policy decisions made today will have a profound impact on the future of education in America. Providing readers with clear and essential information, logically organized, this book helps students and others define, understand, and research this important issue.

Energy Supply
Lisa Yount. New York: Facts on File, 2005. 304pp. On order 04/05/07
Supplies, distribution, and use of energy began to have profound political, economic, social, and environmental effects in the United States and throughout the world in the second half of the 20th century. Today, the quest for oil and other sources of energy not only continues to influence the endlessly contentious politics of the Middle East but to affect nations’ relationships everywhere. Energy props up some governments and multinational businesses and makes others fall. The quest for new energy sources and the byproducts of energy use have made major contributions to the pollution of the planet and, many experts believe, to the climate change called global warming. These effects are expected to increase dramatically in the new century as the demand for energy grows in developing as well as developed countries and the supplies of energy sources, especially fossil fuels, dwindle.
Virtually every aspect of the energy situation is hotly debated. Can new technology help alternate energy sources such as solar power play a greater role in meeting the world’s energy needs or reduce those needs by designing more efficient vehicles and appliances? Will competition for energy cause new wars or economic collapses? What form and degree of regulation can best provide energy for everyone at fair prices? How can the environmental effects of supplying and using energy be controlled?
Energy Supply discusses these questions and more in a highly effective format. It will be of use not only to students, teachers, librarians, and journalists but also to those directly or indirectly involved in energy issues, such as legislators, environmentalists, and every member of the general public who drives a car or turns on a light.

Fundamentalists and Extremists
Douglas Long. New York: Facts on File, 2002. 272pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks BL238 .L66 2002
Recent events—from the 1995 Oklahoma City federal building bombing to controversy over Supreme Court nominees to the threat of mail contaminated with anthrax—indicate the continuing need for factual analysis of extremism and fundamentalism. Fundamentalists and Extremists, a new volume in the Library in a Book series, provides students and researchers with a springboard into this controversial and sometimes confusing subject.
Fundamentalism, which may be defined as a belief in the literal truth of holy writings, has a long history in North America, in no small part because the continent’s promise of religious freedom has attracted colonizers, settlers, and immigrants who sought to practice their religion without state interference. Extremism, which is any political philosophy far to the left or right of the mainstream, challenges standard ideas about how society should be organized. Extremism is also often associated with the endorsement of violence as a means to achieve political goals.
From the Scopes Trial of 1925 to present-day bombings of abortion clinics, the controversy over which political and social systems are advocated by the Bible has been strongly divisive. Likewise, the anticommunism of the cold war era, left-wing militancy of the 1960s, and recent right-wing movements have also signaled nothing less than a continuing, fierce battle over the course and character of American government and society. The views of these groups have affected such national debates as equal rights for women, the teaching of evolution, gays in the military, abortion, the impeachment of President Clinton, and prayer in public schools.
Coverage includes:

Gay Rights
Rachel Kranz and Tim Cusick. New York : Facts On File, 2000. 297pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks HQ76.8.U5 K73 2000
One of the most astonishing social transformations of the past three decades has been the changes in public attitudes wrought by the gay rights movement in the United States. Homosexuality has gone from being a taboo subject that could barely be mentioned in public to a common topic of debate among politicians, voters, and the media. This book offers a complete presentation of this complex and urgent issue, providing a general review of the historical background, the legal issues, the political events, and the profound cultural changes that gays and lesbians are fighting for and in many cases have helped bring about in this country. Among the legal and political issues discussed are sodomy laws, gay marriage, and domestic partnerships, child custody, antidiscrimination laws in employment and housing, gays in the military, and antigay violence and hate crimes. The book also considers such cultural issues as school curriculum, gay teacher's rights, and gay students' safety; gay-related books and the growth of the gay press; the growing presence of openly gay men and lesbians on the radio, on television, and in films; and ttitudes toward gay people in religion.

Gay Rights
Rachel Kranz and Tim Cusick. New York : Facts On File, 2005. Revised edition, 368pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks HQ76.8.U5 K73 2005
President George W. Bush’s attempts to pass a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage prompted fierce debates and made it clear that many Americans have very strong opinions on the matter. While gay rights have made huge steps over the past few decades, the struggle for equal rights continues. Gay Rights, Revised Edition is a concise, comprehensive guide to this highly contested topic.
The new edition includes approximately 40 percent new or greatly revised material, especially in the bibliography. The introduction, certain legal cases, the chronology, and appendixes have all been updated to include appropriate events and policy changes since the publication of the first edition. The biographical listings, glossary, and organizations chapters have been updated, and the annotated bibliography has been completely rewritten. Gay Rights, Revised Edition is perfect for anyone interested in issues related to gay rights, including policymakers, administrators, and attorneys, as well as teachers, students, parents, and the general public.

Global Terrorism
Harry Henderson. New York : Facts On File, 2004. 320pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks HV6431 .H43 2004
As the first phase of the “war on terrorism” ended with at least a partial victory over the Taliban and al-Qaeda, a new phase opened. This new phase focuses attention on the ability of dispersed al-Qaeda members to carry out attacks on targets throughout the world, as well as the many other terrorist groups and regional “hot spots” that could spawn future attacks on the United States or embroil the country in military intervention. The U.S. government has expressed great concern about the threats of state-sponsored terrorism and weapons of mass destruction (most notably in Iraq, Iran, and North Korea) and terrorist-guerrilla movements.
Global Terrorism, Revised Edition addresses the new reality of terrorism at home and abroad, combining an updated general perspective on terrorism (including a historical introduction and theoretical discussion) with recent events and publications. Two important features are updated regional coverage of terrorism in North America that places the recent attacks and responses in global perspective, and the discussion of regional hot spots and events in connection with the expansion of the “war on terrorism” declared by the United States.
This volume addresses issues such as the Israel-Palestine conflict as well as the U.S. military invasion of Iraq. The attitude toward terrorism in nations such as Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt and the public involvement of U.S. armed forces as trainers and advisers in the Philippines and Columbia are covered. The book also sheds light on the actions of North Korea and U.S. responses. With the geography of world terrorism constantly changing, this revised edition provides readers with essential information for understanding what is happening in the war against terror, why it is happening, and what it may lead to in the future.

Global Warming
Douglas Long. New York : Facts On File, 2003. 304pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks QC981.8.G56 L66 2004
NASA scientists say 2002 was the second warmest year in recorded history, further evidence of a trend toward rising global air temperatures. While there is little doubt that both global temperatures and atmospheric carbon dioxide have increased in the past 100 years, not all scientists agree on the extent of the correlation. Still, the international community has taken steps to confront the problem of global warming. These include forming the IPCC, as well as organizing environmental summits in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1992), and Kyoto, Japan (1997), where a plan of action for dealing with the problem of global warming was reached. In 2001, the Bush administration withdrew the U.S. commitment to addressing the issue through the Kyoto agreement, citing reasons concerning the economy and the need for further research. In December 2002, Canada became the 100th country to ratify the Kyoto agreement.
Global Warming provides readers with clear and essential information needed to define, understand, and research this important topic. From the greenhouse effect to fossil fuels and the industrial revolution to growing evidence of global warming, this volume fairly addresses all sides of the issues.

Gun Control
Harry Henderson. New York : Facts On File, 2000. 297pp.
MSU Gast Business Library KF3941 .H46 2000
Although most crime rates have declined during the 1990s, continuing concern about crime and the shocking number of well-publicized mass shootings in schools, workplaces, and churches have kept the issue of gun control on the front burner. The relationship between firearm ownership, crime, and violence is undoubtedly complex, and expert opinions are sharply divided. Gun control advocates suggest that America's permissive firearm laws and the tens of millions of guns in citizens' hands are largely responsible for a 'culture of violence'. They urge strict controls -- if not an outright ban -- on handguns and many types of rifles. Advocates of gun rights argue that it is not guns that cause crime, but criminals -- and that guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens are an essential part of deterring crime.

Gun Control
Harry Henderson. New York : Facts On File, 2005. Revised edition, 320pp.
MSU Gast Business Library KF3941 .H46 2005
Since high-profile mass shooting incidents such as Columbine High School have occurred, the debate over gun control has continued to be an important local issue in many areas. Developments have continued in the courts without a discernable outcome, like the resurgence of Second Amendment litigation in the past few years. In civil court, the attempts to sue gun makers for negligent distribution or marketing of their products have met with mixed success and gun makers, aided by the Republican majority (and some moderate Democrats), seem poised to pass federal legislation that would shield gun manufacturers from negligent marketing claims.
Gun Control, Revised Edition explores all aspects of this complex and important issue in a balanced manner. Including an overview of the topic that provides historical context, this authoritative reference focuses mainly on developments within the United States. The revised edition has been expanded to offer greater coverage of how gun-related issues are being handled in other parts of the world, as well as more detail on the global proliferation of small arms such as AK-47 rifles and grenade launchers. This highly informative resource includes an annotated bibliography, chronology, glossary, biographical listing, a chapter on how to research the topic, laws and court cases, and a list of applicable organizations and agencies, making it the perfect one-stop source for the gun control debate.

Hate Crimes
Tom Streissguth. New York: Facts On File, 2003. 316pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks HV6773.52 .S768 2003
While the acts themselves have occurred throughout history, the birth of the hate crime as an official statistical category in the United States came with the 1990 Hate Crimes Statistics Act. In 1993, the Supreme Court approved penalty enhancement schemes as a penalty for hate crimes with its decision Wisconsin v. Mitchell. Since then, Supreme Court and state court cases have put important constitutional limits on the enforcement and prosecution of hate crimes statutes while the hate crimes debate continues with vehemence in the early 21st century.
Whether one believes hate crimes represent acts committed against entire communities, thus justifying penalty enhancement, or that the law should make no distinction between bias crimes and ordinary crimes, Hate Crimes is a useful guide through the various issues related to this complex topic. Striving to be as objective as possible, this new Library in a Book volume provides students and general readers with the resources necessary to define, understand, and research one of the most contentious topics in the United States today.
Coverage includes:

Immigration
John Powell. New York: Facts On File, 2006. 304pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks JV6201 .P68 2007
Dating back to the colonial period, immigration is now one of the most important — and divisive — issues facing citizens of the United States today as they enter the 21st century. A dramatic rise in illegal immigration, the demise of the cold war, a rapidly aging population, and the emergence of an international war on terror have combined during the past 20 years to create an untested environment in which immigration policy must be developed. Despite the failure of the anti-immigrant lobby to pass Proposition 187—which would cut off social services to illegal immigrants—both the Democratic and Republican Parties adopted platforms calling for enforcements of immigration laws. Today, more than 7 million undocumented aliens reside in the United States, yet there is no consensus as to how they should be handled. As a result, many Americans view immigrants with mistrust, fearing economic competition and possible terrorist infiltration from outside parties, causing a great social, economic, and political divide between migrant workers and middle-and upper-class Americans.
Immigration presents objective information to help readers understand and research this topic. This one-stop resource includes an introduction that traces the history of immigration from its earliest years to the present day in the United States, as well as all the social and economic issues attached to it; a chronology; a glossary; an annotated bibliography, an integral part of the Library in a Book series; appendixes; and an index. Covering immigration legislation and policies, controversies, major court opinions, and related documents, this invaluable volume offers students a balanced look at this timely topic, including an extensive section on additional resources for further research.

Internet Predators
Harry Henderson. New York: Facts On File, 2005. 298pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks HV6773 .H45 2005
Although the Internet traces its origins back more than 35 years, the online world as it is known today is only a decade old. Since the mid-1990s, email and Internet access have been transformed from “techie” preoccupations to everyday activities. Unfortunately, wider public access has led to some problems. The distribution of child pornography and the use of Internet chat rooms by pedophiles to gain access to children are two of the best-known and most feared forms of Internet predation. Recent large-scale operations conducted by the FBI, Interpol, and other law enforcement agencies have netted hundreds of alleged offenders. Other types of crime include cyberstalking and harassment using the Internet, frauds and scams carried out online or by email, identity theft, and other crimes related to personal information.
Internet Predators discusses the struggle to combat criminal and antisocial activity online and to prevent victimization without excessively restricting the freedom that has helped make the online world a vital part of the U.S. economy and society. It focuses on the individual online user and on what service providers, regulatory agencies, law enforcement officials, legislators, and others can and should do to protect the online public. A lively reference resource and useful research guide, this book provides readers with clear and essential information needed to define, understand, and research this important topic.

Juvenile Crime
Jeffrey Ferro. New York: Facts on File, 2003. 316pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks HV9104 .F448 2003
Juvenile crime is an issue growing in relevance by the day. The most visible cases appear regularly in newspapers across the country. These once shocking but now all-too-common-place instances of youth violence in schools, on the streets, and at home are having profound effects on Americans, and many experts believe that a rise in juvenile crime is imminent. Their expectations are founded on U.S. Census Bureau projections that the population of juveniles ages 15 to 17—the age group responsible for two-thirds of all juvenile arrests—is expected to increase almost 20 percent by 2007.
Juvenile Crime takes a serious look at this important topic. It examines juvenile offenders, their crimes, and the consequences of those crimes to themselves, to their victims, and to society. This book provides an overview of the juvenile justice system, how it has evolved, and how it works today, and it examines the impact of tough new state laws on minors in the system. It deals with a broad range of issues, including trends in both violent and property crimes as well as status offenses; juvenile offenders; causes of delinquency and substance abuse; youth gangs and related homicides; school crime and juvenile sex offenders; probation and confinement; juveniles doing adult time; and perceptions, causes, and prevention of juvenile crime. The impact of such court cases as Kent v. United States, In re Gault et al., and Smith v. Daily Mail Publishing Company is addressed.
Coverage includes:

Legalized Gambling
David M. Haugen. New York : Facts On File, Inc. c2006. 304pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks HV6715 .H385 2006
The casino boom in the 1980s and 1990s brought national attention to legalized gambling throughout the United States. Whereas advocates for the rapidly growing industry contend that gambling will revitalize local economies with more jobs, tourism, and tax money for the host communities, others claim that much of that tax money rarely reaches the majority of community residents and, instead, brings a higher rate of crime, violence, and bankruptcy, not to mention encourages compulsive gambling. Because casinos are still being built and lottery jackpots are continuing to grow, the debates over legalized gambling persist in American culture. Communities as well as policymakers remain polarized as to the benefits and costs of gambling. Can an industry that thrives on the addictions of residents be ethically sound? Is compulsive gambling a serious problem? Does legalized gambling aid or harm host communities?
Legalized Gambling, addresses these controversies by examining America’s historical love/hate relationship with gambling. This in-depth examination serves as an aid to students who are researching this issue, as well as other members of the public interested in the history and controversies of legalized gambling. Furthermore, the resource sections make this book a useful tool for teachers and librarians. Given the nation’s continuing fascination with gambling, Legalized Gambling will capitalize on public interest and reveal political, economic, and moral complexities of the issue that otherwise may not be apparent.

Nuclear Power
David E. Newton. New York : Facts On File, Inc. c2006. 300pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks TK9146 .N453 2006
Nuclear energy has sometimes been called “the double-edged sword of science.” The phrase reflects the fact that nuclear energy can be used for both useful and constructive purposes and for deadly and destructive ends. The world was first introduced to nuclear energy when it was used to produce the most destructive and terrible weapons the human race has ever seen—the atomic and hydrogen bombs tested and used in the 1940s and early 1950s. Almost certainly, the greatest potential benefit of nuclear energy is the availability of an almost endless and environmentally attractive source of power. But even as late as 2000, nuclear power accounted for only about 11 percent of all the energy produced in the United States, a fraction substantially less than its earliest proponents had hoped for.
Nuclear Power outlines the history of nuclear power production in the United States and the issues that arise from the use of nuclear power in the production of energy. With solid, valuable information, it traces this issue from the past to the present. Appendixes include maps, graphs, charts, and diagrams, as well as excerpts from influential documents. A fully loaded one-volume reference, this book is ideal for anyone interested in nuclear power, including policymakers, administrators, attorneys, and advocacy groups, as well as teachers, students, parents, and the general public.

Patients' Rights in the Age of Managed Health Care
Lisa Yount. New York : Facts On File, Inc. c2001. 280pp.
MSU Gast Business Library KF3823 .Y68 2001
As the population ages and medical research develops additional life-saving but expensive treatments, the concern over the rising costs of health insurance in America grows. Issues such as the perceived decline in overall quality of care, limited health care access for the poor and minorities, and the denial of treatments by insurance companies and health management organizations (HMOs) consistently make the news. An in-depth overview, a reference resource, and a useful research guide, Patients Rights in the Age of Managed Health Care explains in a clear and concise manner the chief issues in the health delivery field, the responses, the effects, and the future trends. It is an invaluable resource for all those involved in health care, including patients and their families, medical professionals, and politicians, as well as students, educators, journalists, and members of the public.

Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia
Lisa Yount. New York : Facts On File, 2000. 282pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks R726 .Y673 2000
The United States and indeed the Western world is bitterly divided on the issues of physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia. Polls reported in 1997 indicated that up to one-fifth of responding doctors and nurses had helped to end a terminally ill patient's life at some time, even though such acts are against the law; more would consider doing so if physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia became legal. Legislators, judges, and ordinary citizens have become embroiled in the passionate battle over the "right to die". This book addresses a number of legal and ethical issues, such as the distinctions among refusal of life-prolonging treatment, the request for assistance in suicide, and the request for death actively caused by another person; who has the right to determine whether a person's life is "worth-living"; the alternatives to assisted suicide and euthanasia; whether or not courts or legislatures have the power to overrule a competent adult's decision on the matter; the safeguards needed; and physicians' roles in the treatment of the terminally ill.

Power of the News Media
Harry Henderson. New York : Facts On File, c2004. 316pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks PN4888.B74 H46 2004
The news media is a 24-hour presence, endlessly pumping images and information through the air, beaming it down from space, transmitting it through cables and phone lines across the Internet. Out of this torrent of information, all delivered in about the same tone of importance, it is sometimes difficult to sift through and determine what really is significant. From newspapers and magazines to radios, televisions, and the Internet, today's consumers often rely on the news media for unbiased, reliable information on current events. However, the news media is an industry that does much more than report the facts; it is also used to generate publicity, shape public opinion, and sell its audience on just about anything from political parties to social values to the branded media outlets themselves.
Power of the News Media helps readers understand the function of the news media, how it shapes attitudes, and how to evaluate its content. This important volume provides a useful tool for librarians, teachers, and others concerned with education and media issues. Providing a variety of perspectives and drawing on books, articles, and Internet sources, it is an ideal starting place for research.

Prisons
Jeffrey Ferro. New York : Facts on File, 2005. 320pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks HV9471 .F465 2006
U.S. prisons are highly dangerous places for inmates and prison staff alike. Housing a mix of criminal offenders—from drug abusers to murderers—while ensuring the safety of staff members and protecting the rights of inmates is a complex and daunting challenge undertaken each day in prisons nationwide. That challenge is heightened as more prisoners enter correctional facilities. In 2002, some 1.4 million inmates were held in federal and state prisons, an 82 percent increase since 1990. When factored in with jail inmates, that amounted to the highest rate of incarceration in the world.
Clear and comprehensive, Prisons examines the state of U.S. prisons and related issues. It focuses on the development of prisons in the United States and how the competing goals of punishment and rehabilitation have shaped the evolution of corrections. An overview presents statistics on U.S. prisons and explores the issues behind those statistics, including racial disparity among prisoners and the causes of recidivism. The financial costs of running prisons and the mixed record of private prisons are examined, and laws and legislation relating to issues of incarceration are reviewed. Appendixes include excerpts from pertinent regulations and statistics in table and graph forms.

Privacy in the Information Age
Harry Henderson. New York : Facts On File, 1999. 262pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks KF1263.C65 H46 1999
Just as computers make it possible to accumulate vast amounts of information about every individual in our society, they also make it easy to transmit, sort, and anaylze the data. In our complex society, it is indeed necessary to maintain detailed information about many aspects of our daily lives. Nevertheless, as awareness of the extent of information gathering and the risks it poses grows, the fate of privacy has become a pressing concern. This book explores the issues raised by the burgeoning collection and distribution of personal information, including:

Privacy in the Information Age, Revised Edition
Harry Henderson. New York: Facts on File, 2006. 314pp.
MSU Gast Business Library KF1263.C65 H46 2006
Privacy can mean different things to different people. It can mean seclusion, or it could mean the ability to control access to personal information. Most Americans expect that a letter will get to its destination unopened and that no one will be allowed to secretly listen in on phone calls without a court order. If the police suspect someone has committed a crime, they have to obtain a warrant from a judge before searching the person's home. Besides protecting specific places and activities, privacy can also mean protection for intimacy and family life, and indeed, the right to make decisions about whether to have a family, without interference from the government. In a society where communication and information technology are central to economic and social life, many privacy advocates feel that the right of persons to control how information about them is obtained and used is deeply intertwined with the experience of autonomy and liberty.
Privacy in the Information Age, Revised Edition, provides readers with clear and essential information needed to define, understand, and research this important issue. The text and chronology have been updated to include appropriate events and policy changes since the publication of the original edition. Also, the annotated bibliography, an integral part of the Library in a Book series, has been updated to include sources published or posted on the Internet since the first edition. This book serves as a lively reference resource and useful research guide to help all those interested in issues related to privacy in the information age, including policymakers, administrators, and attorneys, as well as teachers, students, parents, and the general public.

Racial Profiling
Fred C. Pompel. New York: Facts on File, 2004. 288pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks HV8141 .P26 2004
The practice of racial profiling by police, government agents, and business personnel has generated enormous controversy over the past decade and shows no sign of abating. Racial profiling involves law enforcement actions based on race, ethnicity, or national origin rather than on the criminal behavior of an individual. In practice, it leads police to stop and inspect selected people passing through public places— passengers on airplanes, drivers on highways, pedestrians in urban areas, visitors crossing national borders—because they fit a statistical profile based on group membership.
Is membership in a group ever a sufficient reason for special investigation, or do such actions always violate civil liberties? How common is racial profiling according to available evidence? What actions have opponents taken to end the practice? Is racial profiling effective in crime prevention? Racial Profiling addresses these and other related questions and explores the highly charged controversies that they reflect. It provides an overview, reference resource, and research guide that will interest not only students, teachers, and librarians but also activists, policymakers, participants in the criminal justice system, and members of the public interested in issues of race and crime.

Reproductive Rights and Technology
Rachel Kranz. New York: Facts on File, 2002. 272pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks RG133.5 .K73 2002
From the advent of the Pill to in vitro fertilization, from Roe v. Wade to the Freedom of Choice movement, the reproductive rights of women have always been a highly volatile, hotly debated subject. Reproductive Rights and Technology addresses important and emotionally charged issues. As with the other titles in the Library in a Book series, it provides a historical overview and serves as a reference resource and research guide that can be useful not only to students, teachers, and librarians but also to journalists, media people, and members of the public interested in the impact that the issues have on our society.
This volume examines reproductive issues from a wide variety of perspectives and disciplines-including science, technology, history, economics, politics, social attitudes, religion, and philosophy. Readers will also discover the range of reproductive technologies currently available, how their development has been affected by people’s beliefs and values, and the circumstances under which these techniques are made available. This addition to the critically acclaimed Library in a Book series will be of great use to everyone concerned with the issues of reproduction, childbearing, and women’s rights.
Coverage includes:

Right to Die and Euthanasia
Lisa Yount. New York: Facts On File, 2007. 312pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks R726 .Y673 2007
The United States, and indeed the Western world, is bitterly divided on the issues of the right to die and euthanasia. Polls reported in 2004 indicated that between 4 and 10 percent of physicians helped to end a terminally ill patient's life at some time, even though such acts are against the law. Legislators, judges, and ordinary citizens have become embroiled in the passionate battle over the "right to die." Meanwhile, health-care professionals, philosophers and religious leaders, and disable or severely ill people and their families continue to debate whether, and under what circumstances, euthanasia or assistance in suicide is a valid ethical or moral choice. Right to Die and Euthanasia provides readers with clear and essential information needed to define, understand, and research these important questions by examining and analyzing the history and important cases concerning euthanasia in the United States.

Sexual Harassment
Constance Jones. New York : Facts On File, 1996. 288pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks HQ1237.5.U6 J66 1996
A concise and accessible one-volume introduction to this complicated issue. It examines all viewpoints in the controversy and sheds some light on its ambiguities.

Sexual Misconduct and the Clergy
Jeffrey Ferro. New York : Facts On File, 2005. 280pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks BV4392.5 .F47 2005
Provides research information on the crisis in the U.S. involving sexual misconduct and the clergy, discussing the history, its human and financial cost, and how the law and various faiths are dealing with the problem.

Stem Cell Research
David Newton. New York : Facts On File, 2007. 288pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks QH588.S83 N49 2007
One of the most controversial debates in scientific research today focuses on the use of embryonic stem cells in medical research. Recent discoveries suggest that stem cells exist within embryos and are even more plastic than adult cells, meaning that they are capable of developing into virtually any type of cell found in a living body. This discovery has raised the possibility of using embryonic stem cells for the treatment of a host of medical conditions, including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, spinal cord injuries, strokes, burns, heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. In each instance, the transplantation of embryonic stem cells into the patient’s body is expected to result in the growth of healthy new tissue or organs that have been damaged by the disease being treated. However, opponents of this scientific procedure doubt the validity of the scientific premises behind these therapeutic uses and oppose the destruction of human embryos for further research. Current federal law and regulations allow researchers to use federal funds to conduct some types of stem cell research using adult stem cells, but not embryonic stem cells, which significantly slows the progress of this possibly life-altering medical study.
Exploring the political and ethical issues associated with this area of study, Stem Cell Research gives students and general readers alike a comprehensive look at both the science and the controversy surrounding this groundbreaking research. This first-stop reference provides clear and essential information needed to define, understand, and research this important issue objectively. Covering court cases, legislation, and relevant policies, this volume also includes a chronology; a glossary; a guide to further research; an annotated bibliography, an integral part of the Library in a Book series; appendixes; as well as an index.

Terrorism
Harry Henderson. New York : Facts On File, 2001. 304pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks HV6431 .H43 2001
Terrorism can be most simply defined as the use or threat of violence by a non-governmental group to achieve political or social goals. Although the odds of an individual becoming victim of a terrorist attack in a democracy like the United States are miniscule, the ability of a small number of terrorists -- like the Oklahoma city bombers -- to strike a sudden devastating blow highlights how increasingly vulnerable we are becoming in this complex industrial and information age. The increasing proliferation and availability of sophisticated weapons has made the issue of terrorism more urgent than ever. Danger not only comes from what a terrorist could to us, but what it can lead us to do to ourselves as a result.

Until recently, the odds of an individual becoming a victim of a terrorist attack in a democracy like the United States were minuscule. However, the ability of a small number of terrorists -- like those who attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon -- to strike a sudden devastating blow highlights how increasingly vulnerable we are. The proliferation and availability of sophisticated weapons have made the issue of terrorism more urgent than ever. Terrorist groups no longer rely solely on firepower to make their message heard; as bioterrorism and cyberterrorism become possibilities, the range of victims affected can be far greater than previously imagined. Terrorism is a balanced examination of the complex political and social issues surrounding this phenomena.
Coverage includes:

Terrorist Challenge to America
Harry Henderson. New York : Facts On File, 2003. 316pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks HV6432 .H46 2003
Although the 1993 World Trade Center bombing reminded Americans that terrorism could strike them at home, until September 11, 2001, it was possible to view such incidents as rare aberrations and the threat of terrorism as diffuse and distant—as something that happened elsewhere in the world. After September 11, 2001, terrorism can no longer be seen as a regional or peripheral concern. The total destruction of the World Trade Center and the damage to the Pentagon took more than 3,000 lives and sent shock waves rippling through an already troubled economy. President Bush, Congress, and many other world leaders resolutely declared a “war on terrorism.”
This new Library in a Book is devoted to exploring the challenges—social, economic, military, political, and legal—that Americans are being forced to deal with in a struggle that may be of indeterminate duration. Choosing the appropriate “rules of engagement” for this struggle against terror poses tremendous challenges to an open society such as that of the United States. Terrorist Challenge to America is the perfect companion to Terrorism (in the same series) and serves as the best first-stop source of information and guidance to further research for all American students, general readers, policymakers, and teachers.
Coverage includes:

Threats to Food Safety
Fred C. Pampel. New York : Facts On File, c2006. 304pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks TX531 .P26 2006
Food is an intrinsic part of every society, but recently it has become a source of worry for many Americans and government officials. It has been estimated that more than 76 million people in the United States—more than a quarter of the population—suffer from food poisoning each year. There also lurks potential for food contamination from food brought in from other countries, as well as threats of bioterrorism. Despite these risks, most Americans take the safety of their food for granted and take very minimal precautions when preparing or handling food. New techniques to ensure food safety have emerged to deal with many of these problems, including genetic engineering of plants and animals to be resistant to disease; the radiation of food products to kill bacteria; the development of new food products, such as artificial sweeteners and fat substitutes; and eating only organic foods. However, these short-term solutions could pose long-term problems. Are these concerns overstated by health food advocates? Should Americans worry about food safety? Has the government failed to protect consumers from the risks of food-based diseases?
Threats to Food Safety addresses these concerns and provides a wealth of essential, first-stop information on this important issue. This volume also includes a chronology; a glossary; a guide to further research; an annotated bibliography, an integral part of the Library in a Book series; appendixes; and an index. This resource acts as a useful reference for students, teachers, health officials, and general readers who are interested in the safety of our food supply.

Tobacco Industry and Smoking
Fred C. Pampel. New York : Facts On File, c2004. 316pp.
MSU Main Library Stacks HV5760 .P36 2004
The U.S. Surgeon General views smoking as the nation's number one public health problem, and cigarette smoking is the single largest preventable cause of premature death in the United States today. Estimates of the number of yearly deaths from smoking-related causes exceed 400,000 (about one-sixth of all deaths), and yet 23 percent of the population in 2000 smoked. Despite falling cigarette use in past decades, young people today continue to adopt the habit at about the same rate as they did 10 years ago.
Tobacco Industry and Smoking addresses the many serious and controversial questions related to the problem of smoking in the United States: Is the tobacco industry responsible for the harm of cigarettes? Should the goal of improving population health override individual freedom in the choice to smoke? Should the government regulate tobacco as much as it regulates other drugs? Have tobacco ads manipulated consumers, particularly those at young ages, into adopting a harmful product? This broad overview, reference resource, and research guide will help students, teachers, and librarians as well as counselors, health care workers, government advocates, and members of the public answer these questions and gain a better understanding of the impact of smoking on their lives.

Weapons of Mass Destruction
Mary Byrd Davis and Arthur H. Purcess. New York : Facts On File, c2006. Scheduled for release in 2006
MSU Main Library Stacks U973 .D38 2006
If the global focus of the new millennium could be characterized by four words, those words would be “weapons of mass destruction.” The millennium was barely a few months old when a cruelly innovative deployment of weapons of mass destruction forever altered our course. Four jet fuel-laden hijacked passenger airliners became bombs that resulted in the deaths of nearly 3,000 people on September 11, 2001. Within a period of minutes, the U.S. government shifted priorities and made the elimination of the threat of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) its primary focus. From a war that has cost hundreds of billions of dollars and likely claimed thousands of lives in the Middle East to the revamping of seemingly all domestic activities to make them less vulnerable to terrorist attacks, large and small, the U.S. economy is being dramatically impacted by the need to prevent the development and deployment of WMDs.
Weapons of Mass Destruction, a new volume in the Library in a Book series, provides readers with clear and essential information needed to define, understand, and research this important topic. It is essential that people understand as much as possible about WMDs, including what they are, what they can do, how and why they have evolved, and what kinds of efforts have been formulated to halt their proliferation. Aimed at students and general readers alike, this new volume will outline basic information on WMDs, as well as provide additional in-depth references for further research.

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