For thousands of years, human beings have had relationships with a variety of other animals. The at-times unequal interaction between humans and animals has led to the rise of an animal-rights movement. This book examines and addresses some basic questions about the issue of animal rights today, including: What are animal rights? Are animals the same as humans? Is it proper the way that animals are raised as food? And, are there alternatives to using...

The term "capital punishment" refers to the practice of putting a convicted person to death as the penalty for committing a serious crime. The question of whether countries should execute their most notorious criminals has sparked a huge amount of debate. This book examines some fundamental questions surrounding the issue of capital punishment today. It provides a historical overview of capital punishment, examines countries where the death penalty...

Drugs have become a part of modern society in both their legal and illegal forms. This book asks the important questions about both medicinal drugs and drugs of abuse. Why do some people take drugs? How harmful and addictive are they? Why are antibiotics no longer working? Should all drugs be legalized in the future? The Critical World Issues series explores some of the most controversial and newsworthy subjects in the modern world. Each book examines...

Euthanasia is defined as "the painless killing of a patient who is suffering from an incurable and painful disease." The question of whether people should be allowed to choose the timing and manner of their own death has caused great controversy. This book examines some fundamental issues related to euthanasia and the practice of assisted suicide. It explains euthanasia in its various forms, provides information on the "right-to-die movement," and...

Genetic engineering involves the deliberate modification of the characteristics of an organism by manipulating its genetic material. This allows modern scientists to shape characteristics of living things. This technology offers many positives, including the possibility of enabling people to live longer, or creating productive strains of grain or fruit that can feed greater numbers of people. However, some people are concerned about the Frankenstein-like...

Human rights are often taken for granted, but across the world people are still denied many basic rights: to have a home, an education, to be treated with dignity and be free to express religious or political beliefs. This book asks the fundamental questions about human rights today, including: What exactly are human rights? Why can it be so difficult to put them into practice? How do human rights affect our everyday lives? What can we do to defend...

Racism is a belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities that are specific to that race. This belief enables members of one race to distinguish themselves as superior to another race or races. Today, Racism affects the lives of millions of people in many different countries. This book discusses when and why racism began, explores how it feels to be a victim of racism, and suggests approaches for how society can tackle...

Terrorism is a global phenomenon that affects the everyday lives of many people. Terrorist attacks have been carried out people of all ethnic and religious backgrounds. Recent deadly attacks in Brussels, Belgium; San Bernardino, California; and Paris, France, have drawn international condemnation. This book examines the development of terrorism, from its earliest history to the present day. It attempts to define terrorism, provides information about...