Capital Punishment: The Death Penalty Debate (Issues in Focus) [Library Binding]

Ted Gottfried (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1997 | ISBN-10: 0894908995 | ISBN-13: 978-0894908996

Discusses the controversial issue of whether the death penalty is a fair punishment, debating both sides of the argument.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-10. Many people believe that the death penalty deters crime. Others point out that statistics prove otherwise. Using constitutional cases and incorporating statistics, Gottfried addresses these and other issues showing how the Supreme Court has changed its mind over the years, in part reflecting public opinion. He points out that where one lives, even within the same state, affects whether one may be sentenced to life imprisonment or to die. A great deal of this information is available on the Internet through Amnesty International, the ACLU, etc. The black-and-white photos and reproductions are appropriate to the text. The most recent data included is from 1994. There is one error; Albert Sabo, the judge presiding over the Mumia Abu-Jamal case, is not retired.?Jo-Anne Weinberg, Greenburgh Public Library, NY
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 6^-12. Does capital punishment weaken the reverence for life? Is its purpose deterrence or punishment? Who should die? Who should live? Who should decide? As the number of state executions rises, these questions are being passionately argued in public forums across the country, and this title, part of the Issues in Focus series, does an excellent job of bringing the discussion right up to the present. Gottfried presents strong arguments for each side, with lots of past and contemporary cases as examples. He includes data about the law and how it has changed through history, and he discusses the influence of such factors as race, poverty, and geography. His style is direct, and the book design is clear and accessible, with subheads, black-and-white photos throughout, and straightforward statistics about where the death penalty is legal, where it's most often handed down, and where it's most often actually carried out. There's an interesting discussion about the role of "mitigating circumstances." A disturbing chapter looks at instruments of execution. For classroom discussion and for personal interest, this will make students stop and think, whether they believe that "people who kill will kill again" or that the death penalty "serves no purpose save revenge." Gottfried includes a chronology, glossary, bibliography, and clear chapter notes. Hazel Rochman

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 11 and up
  
• Library Binding: 128 pages
• Publisher: Enslow Publishers (January 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0894908995
• ISBN-13: 978-0894908996
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,314,969 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars debating on the book, March 29, 2000

By 

adriana (chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Capital Punishment: The Death Penalty Debate (Issues in Focus) (Library Binding)

all i have to say is that this is a great book for information and i recomend it.