Euthanasia and the "Right to Die": A Pro/Con Issue (Hot Pro/Con Issues)

Gr. 5-8. As is typical for Enslow's Hot Pro/Con Issues series, a complicated topic is gently dissected--in this case, the right to die by choice rather than by nature--in an evenhanded, well-researched fashion. Rebman steps into the debate by asking what is a "good death," explaining that this phrase is the literal translation of the Greek-based term euthanasia. She goes on to offer a variety of possible answers without bias, and she paints a historic picture of the controversy and how technology has complicated our definitions of life and death. After impartially listing pros and cons for each side of the argument, she documents unanswered questions. Terms such as PVS patients (disabled patients in a "persistent vegetative state") are defined in text, and Rebman closes the book with extensive resource lists. Objectivity makes this a good reference.