Customer Reviews

Debating the Death Penalty: Should America Have Capital Punishment? The Experts on Both Sides Make Their Case

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you are looking for balanced arguments for and against the death penalty, this is probably one of the best sources currently available. The book alternates between retentionist and abolitionist papers (those for and those against capital punishment). I have personally found it very hard to find any academic arguments in favour of capital punishment and perhaps the most academic one I have found is in this book - Louis Pojman, who was also the editor of a book on moral philosophy that was used in my philosophy studies in university.

This book is mostly focussed on the death penalty as it is experienced in the United States and features some of the most well known figures in the US on this issue (including former Illinois Governor George Ryan).

Being most familiar with the abolitionist arguments, I would say that this volume is not completely comprehensive, but it is worthy and I get the feeling that this is not aimed at showing all arguments - just the primary arguments of those speaking - and it does that excellently. It is an excellent book too if you are having trouble understanding 'the other side' in this issue and well worth the read.

On a side note, if you are interested in understanding the legal and international perspective of the death penalty I recommend Professor Roger Hood's _The Death Penalty: A Worldwide Perspective_ - the best comprehensive study on the subject I have ever found.

I believe that the opinions in this book are very enlightening. The co. authors explain their opinions very well and present their views cogently. Paul Cassell's chapter in this book was very convincing and it is very clear to note that he is oneof the leading experts in this field. I highly recomond this book to anybody who is interested in learning about the Death Penalty.

Stephen Taylor Snyder

Before reading this book, I was under the impression that the capital punishment debate had only two points of view. Either you are for the death penalty, or you are against it. I was mistaken. There are seven contributing authors to this work, and each has a distinctly different point of view on the capital punishment debate. These points of view range from total abolitionist (believes the death penalty is morally wrong no matter the crime) to the staunch belief that we do not use the death penalty enough nor with enough regularity for it to be effective (believes we should kill more murderers faster). The issues addressed include deterrence, arbitrariness, racism, DNA evidence, and the many imperfections in the process of sending a killer to his or her death.

Very balanced between for ad against the death penalty, it is without doubt a very useful and interested book to buy and read.

I think it would be interesting a refresh of co-authors opinions based on updated stats.

I am on the side that is against the death penalty. I am against capital punishment as I am aware that it is an evil practice. I could only support the death penalty if it were a deterrent to stop one person from killing another person. I am 100% convinced that it is not a deterrent. Life in prison is so terrible that it is impossible to believe that a potential killer is going to think that "I will go ahead with the killing because the punishment is only life in prison and not the death penalty."

the book is really good but the issue makes me cry sometimes.thats why i give it three stars.

the book is really good but the issue makes me cry sometimes.thats why i give it three stars.