Thinking Critically: Abortion ISBN 978-1-68282-261-6 / eBook: 978-1-68282-262-3
Thinking Critically: Animal Rights ISBN 978-1-68282-263-0 / eBook: 978-1-68282-264-7
Thinking Critically: The Death Penalty ISBN 978-1-68282-265-4 / eBook: 978-1-68282-266-1
Thinking Critically: Obesity ISBN 978-1-68282-267-8 / eBook: 978-1-68282-268-5
Booklist, September 15, 2017
Even a pancake has two sides, as the old saying goes, and these volumes in the dependable Thinking Critically series espouse this philosophy by offering a pro-con study of complex issues that shape public discourse. Each title begins with an overview of the issue and how it has raised debate in recent news. Four chapters follow, each asking a related question and providing key points, including research and philosophy from experts in the fields. Abortion delves into whether a fetus is a person with a right to life, whether abortion causes potential harm, and the laws governing the procedure. Animal Rights considers the morality of eating animals, using them for entertainment, and experimenting on them as well as if they should have rights similar to humans. Considerable attention is given to race and socioeconomics in The Death Penalty, which reflects upon whether capital punishment is ethical, is fairly imposed, deters crime, and serves justice. Obesity examines whether being significantly overweight is a serious health threat, a matter of personal responsibility, and if the food industry is to blame. Guided questions, charts, and quotes provide additional resources, as do appended lists of facts, organizations, and websites. Rather than face unwieldy results from an Internet search, students can use this series to frame their research coherently.
— Angela Leeper
Thinking Critically: Abortion ISBN 978-1-68282-261-6 / eBook: 978-1-68282-262-3
Thinking Critically: Animal Rights ISBN 978-1-68282-263-0 / eBook: 978-1-68282-264-7
Thinking Critically: The Death Penalty ISBN 978-1-68282-265-4 / eBook: 978-1-68282-266-1
Thinking Critically: Obesity ISBN 978-1-68282-267-8 / eBook: 978-1-68282-268-5
Thinking Critically: Police Powers ISBN 978-1-68282-269-2 / eBook: 978-1-68282-270-8
School Library Journal, September 2017
Gr 9 Up—Formatted like a debate, each volume alternates between pro and con chapters that highlight a number of pertinent talking points. The authors routinely prompt students to reflect on and challenge their own ideas and opinions. In general, the tone throughout is not sensationalized, but it is a little dry; the content resembles an overview much more than a true interrogation of the conflict. Notably, in Abortion, the inclusion of the argument that abortion is “racial genocide” because it “weakens diversity by decimating the population of America’s minority groups” as a viable position is deeply problematic, and the decision to quote Breitbart to support this viewpoint undermines confidence in the overall work. A supplemental choice for large debate collections.