Alcohol: Opposing Viewpoints

A collection of essays looking at the benefit and detriments of drinking alcohol

Gr 9 Up--Most discussions of this issue for young adults strongly emphasize the negative aspects of alcohol on the individual, but this collection presents differing views on broader topics of interest to the whole community. The four areas debated are health, industry responsibility, alcoholism treatment, and what can be done about alcohol-related problems. The previously published material taken from a variety of sources has been edited for length and accessibility. Each article has an introduction that identifies the author, summarizes his or her views, and offers some questions to think about while reading. An additional list of related periodical articles appears at the end of each section. Also included are appropriate organizations complete with phone and fax numbers, e-mail addresses, and Web sites. In a society where alcohol is ever present and a part of many activities, a book like this one offers a fine vehicle to help young people evaluate sources of information and hone critical-thinking skills. For general interest and classroom work, this series entry is a good choice.

Martha Gordon, formerly at South Salem Library,

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