Hydropower Oil Spills and Offshore Drilling

Gr 5 Up—These timely volumes have up-to-date information with frequent references to the Three Gorges Dam in China (Hydropower) and the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico (Oil Spills). The strong points of the books are their organization and their usability. Each volume begins with a two-page introduction to the topic, followed by an overview of approximately 10 pages and then 4 chapters, each organized around a question. Hydropower poses questions concerning the possibility of reducing dependency on fossil fuels, the impact of hydropower on the environment, how developing countries can benefit from its use, and if the oceans represent the future of hydropower. Oil Spills asks if the U.S. needs to drill offshore, if it's an environmental risk, if regulations are adequate, and discusses the future of offshore drilling. In both books, each chapter is followed by a section of primary-source quotes espousing pro and con views. Each title concludes with a "Key People and Advocacy Groups" section. These volumes are first-rate ready-reference books and excellent to use in teaching research with primary documents.—Patricia Ann Owens, Illinois Eastern Community Colleges