Food Technology

Gr 9 Up—This well-written, thoughtful series uses international and historical perspectives to analyze contemporary issues. Most volumes open with a human-interest profile of a person affected by the conflict, followed by an extensive overview of its history, which in some cases traces back to early human civilizations. The remaining chapters are reasoned discussions of the issue. Some authors objectively summarize opposing viewpoints about contentious issues such as abortion and animal rights; others evaluate possible solutions to intractable problems such as genocide and terrorism. The majority of the information is about the United States, but other nations are also represented. Average-quality photos and graphics supplement the texts, and back matter provides pertinent statistics and lists of organizations in each volume. This set shows readers that the impact of world issues is far more reaching and complex than the phrase current events might imply.