Merino, Noel. Civil Liberties.

Merino, Noel.  Civil Liberties.  Cengage (Gale/Blackbirch/Greenhaven)  2013  250p   ISBN 978-0-7377-6305-8  series: Opposing Viewpoints  hs E-BN  Nonfiction 

Once again, Opposing Viewpoints does an excellent job presenting varying viewpoints on timely topics. The inclusion of recent U. S. Supreme Court cases involving political spending limits and privacy issues makes this a timely volume for government classes as well as current events classes.  Each general section starts with background information followed by at least four articles that explain the divergent viewpoints held by key groups of people.  In the section on freedom of speech, issues such as political campaign spending, hate speech, and censorship are covered.  The second section looks at the separation of church and state, with articles on prayer in school and religious tolerance. The third section looks at due process, including the rights of illegal aliens and terrorists.  The fourth section looks at issues of privacy, including government surveillance, internet privacy, and the use of warrants before tracking citizens.  This title would be a first choice for high-school libraries. Opposing Viewpoints includes many titles that provide pro/con articles written within the last few years.  Each book provides an overview of the topic, a history of the important landmark events, a list of resources for further reading, and an index.

Summary: This book presents pro/con articles about freedom of speech, separation of church and state, privacy issues and due process.  Discussion of recent Supreme Court Cases, including Citizens United and United States versus Jones, make this a timely volume. Grades 9-12.             

Civil Liberties                                         --Lois McNicol

Merino, Noel. Genetic Engineering.

Merino, Noel.  Genetic Engineering.  Cengage (Gale/Blackbirch/Greenhaven)     2013  227p  ISBN 978-0-7377-6425-3  series: Opposing Viewpoints     jr/sr  E   Nonfiction 

Dealing with a topic that concerns and affects many people of all ages, this book uses selected readings to look at genetic engineering as well as its effects on society and the environment. These are written by a wide variety of authors who discuss the issue in ways readers will find accessible, engaging, and relevant to their lives. The readings cover a fairly diverse array of opinions and issues surrounding genetic engineering, from the idea of designer offspring to the risks or non-risks of consuming genetically modified foods. Most of the pieces are between six and ten pages in length, and each includes an overview of the piece and three questions for readers to consider as they read it.  It is relatively important to note that articles in Greenhaven Press anthologies are often edited to meet page length requirements, and the original titles of works may be changed to clearly present the main thesis and indicate the author's opinion.  This means readers must assume that the material has not misrepresented the original author's opinion, or else be able to find the source material and verify the matter. It is not difficult to find original sources, however, as the editors make every effort to cite the source on the first page of each article.  At the end of each chapter there is a list of suggested readings on related subjects, and the last portion of the book includes a section on organizations to contact for more information.

The Opposing Viewpoints series presents previously published writings on a variety of controversial subjects in order to demonstrate alternative or opposing views and encourage readers to think critically about assumptions and bias.  

Summary: This title offers balanced pro/con articles about the issues surrounding genetic engineering both in food products and in people. These articles are written by a wide variety of authoritative voices that discuss the issues in ways readers will find accessible, engaging, and relevant to their lives.     

Genetic engineering                                  --Bethany Geleskie

Merino, Noel. Privacy.

Merino, Noel.  Privacy.  Cengage (Gale/Blackbirch/Greenhaven)     2012  155p  $28.45  978-0-7377-5830-6  series: Teen Rights and Freedoms.  hs VG-BNS

     

This is an anthology of essays related to teen privacy, including school searches, drug testing, and consent for abortion.  The concept that children and teens have rights independent of their parents is a relatively new notion.  Although not explicitly mentioned in the U.S. Constitution, privacy has come to be recognized as a fundamental right of  all American citizens.  In Privacy, readers explore essays and articles regarding the right to privacy and the responsibilities that right entails.  In addition to a diverse selection of articles drawn from journals, magazines, newspapers, nonfiction books, organizational newsletters, position papers, speeches, and other documents, special emphasis is given to Supreme Court and lower-court decisions and government documents.  First-person narratives bring an important human element to the topic.  To develop critical thinking, it would have been useful to include questions or prompts to springboard discussion.

Teen issues regarding privacy arise because children under the age of eighteen are minors and their rights under the law differ from those of adults.  However, as teenagers approach adulthood, the demarcation blurs and privacy issues have become controversial, with regards to contraception, medical care, treatment at school, and the use of electronic media.  A first-person narrative by a teen who was strip-searched at school as part of a drug search is sure to prompt reader response.

Each selection includes an overview to provide context and background.  An annotated table of contents is helpful in providing the highlights of court decisions and personal narratives, while illustrations, a brief chronology, an annotated list of organizations to contact, and a bibliography for further reading rounds out the volume.

Although the style is dry and academic, the text is informative, and student researchers and debaters will find this volume to be a useful source on issues of teen privacy, as it explores the controversies from many viewpoints and offers historic and contemporary views on the topic.           

Privacy                                                     --Hilary Welliver