"Thinking About the Insanity Defense" answers ninety-seven frequently asked questions and presents sixteen case examples in easily understood language.

This volume provides a clear and compelling introduction to one of the most important topics in the relation between psychology and law. Compiled by members of a Harvard seminar, it directs attention to the issues most often raised by the general public and by students of social science and criminal justice.

The frequently asked questions about the insanity defense address:
-its history and psychological aspects;
-the effects...

This volume provides a clear and compelling introduction to the most controversial moral and legal problems in society. Focusing on ethical and legal decision making, it directs attention to the issues raised by the general public and by students of law, philosophy, justice, and social policy.

Some frequently asked questions and examples address basic life and death issues: abortion and infanticide; care of children, at risk because of predatory priests or alternatives to medicine; capital punishment, in general and excluding juveniles and the mentally retarded; right to die, including...