Is our food safe? Much of the corn, soybeans, and canola oil we eat has been genetically modified, but we don't know the long-term effects of GM foods on our health and the environment. We also consume antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria through the meat we eat, and we face new threats like mad cow disease, avian flu, and bioterrorism.

"Food Safety: A Reference Handbook, Second Edition" provides a broad, readable, and level-headed overview of these and other food safety controversies. Through a combination of statistics and substantive information, it delineates the nature and...

"Violence in the Media: A Reference Handbook" documents the issues, impact, controversies, and consequences of one of the most insidious phenomena facing American society. With 99 percent of American homes having TV sets, the book's main focus is on television violence and in particular its effects on children, who spend an average of 28 hours a week watching television.

A historical synopsis, covering early concerns that continue to be hotly debated, describes congressional hearings and their outcomes. Brief biographies present perspectives on key players like theoretician Albert...

"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...

From Puritan ducking stools to boot camps and supermax prisons, "Punishment in America" investigates the evolution of punishment in the United States. Intriguing inquiries into penitentiaries, parole, capital punishment, and other sanctions reveal how the rationales behind them--retribution, rehabilitation, and deterrence--reflect changes in society, culture, and values.

Reaching beyond the typical focus on prisons and incarceration to extralegal lynchings and vigilante operations and the treatment of the poor and the mentally challenged, this remarkable review also explores the impact...

"Native American Issues: A Reference Handbook, Second Edition" explores the history, problems, and contemporary issues faced by peoples of Native American heritage. From the Indian Removal Act of 1830 to the "Twenty Points" platform advanced by the American Indian Movement in the 1970s to the massive budget cuts of the 1980s, readers will discover how the well-being of Native Americans has been affected by federal and state policies.

Refocusing the first edition's underlying theme of sovereignty to highlight issues related to community, this extensively updated volume addresses the...

"Mental Health in America: A Reference Handbook" examines the evolution of mental health policy in America from the almshouses of colonial times and the dawn of psychoanalysis in the early 1900s to the community mental health revolution in the 1960s and the insurance problems plaguing the field today.

Addressing such conditions as Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, anxiety, dementia, bipolar disorder, and depression, this work explores the changing definitions and explanations of mental illness and provides detailed analyses of treatments and their effects, including electroshock...

"New Slavery: A Reference Handbook" is as scholarly as it is shocking--a gripping account of modern slavery, from Pakistan to Paris, Nepal to New York. From bonded laborers in India and prostitutes in Thailand to illegal domestic workers in Kuwait, Tokyo, and London, this book surveys the grim and violent world of contemporary forced labor, human trafficking, and slavery.

More commonly associated with the horrors of 19th-century cotton plantations or Nazi concentration camps, slave labor remains alive and well. Despite antislavery laws in almost every country, slavery today is booming--...

"Antisemitism: A Reference Handbook" is the first reference work to present a global survey of antisemitism that goes beyond its history to reveal the roots and nature of antisemitism. Exploring how antisemitism has manifested itself in various countries from pre-Christian times to today's ongoing Palestinian Intifada, which has caused severe reactions in Arab and Muslim communities all over the world, this unique work traces the history of the hatred of Jews worldwide.

Approximately 20 biographical sketches profile advocates of antisemitism such as William Marr, who coined the term...

The world ocean is one of the most important global resources. Without it most life on earth would not survive because the ocean provides temperature regulation and produces oxygen, among other vital functions. However, this life-sustaining resource faces dangerous threats from over fishing, industrial wastes, oil pollution, and loss of biodiversity.

"Ocean Politics and Policy" covers the major types of pollution, deep sea-bed mining, international jurisdictional disputes, and piracy, examining the underlying reasons for these problems and providing practical policy suggestions for...

Focusing on an often overlooked subject, this volume explores women's incarceration, from the first women-only prison to modern state-of-the-art facilities. It explores controversies, problems, and solutions, such as excessive discipline, the lack of training programs, sexual abuse, medical services, and visitation policies.

The book also investigates key issues such as the background of inmates, the disproportionate number of African American and Hispanic prisoners because of the "war on drugs," and how women cope with the separation from their children and families. A full chapter is...