"Invasion of Privacy: A Reference Handbook" chronicles the most pressing privacy issues and dilemmas from around the world from the 17th century to today. Shocking accounts of government and corporate abuse liven discussions of controversial topics ranging from high-tech surveillance and the collection of personal data to bodily and sexual privacy. The Internet, a platform for free speech now subject to calls for rigorous censorship, and the global threat of terrorism in the post-September 11 era receive special emphasis.

Readers will also learn about disturbing abuses of power by the...