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School Library Journal Review

10 Up-- Hot topics are explored through the use of opposing viewpoints in these two anthologies of published essays and speeches from books and other publications. The focus in each book is specific and current. Anita Hill contributed the second essay; her experience with Clarence Thomas is mentioned in many of the articles. Definitions and examples of sexual harassment are given, but they are primarily for, and from, a professional or academic setting. In fact, the writing is somewhat scholarly and the essayists verbose. This may discourage some students from reading the books, but they should be good sources for reports and research papers. --Valerie Childress, J. W. Holloway Middle School, Whitehouse, TX (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

Gr. 9-12. Like the generally excellent Opposing Viewpoints books for which this publisher is known, titles in Current Controversies are collections of excerpts and articles reprinted from a variety of sources. Unlike Viewpoints, though, Controversies tackles those issues that do not lend themselves well to a perfect opposition of pro and con. In this book, for example, there's no disagreement about the destructive nature of sexual harassment. There is, however, a good deal of argument about the causes and the seriousness of the problem, about what constitutes "actionable behavior," and about the best means to reduce harassment. Barbara Kantrowitz, senior writer for Newsweek, cogently lays out the problem in the opening chapter; other contributors include Anita Hill, whose testimony during the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas brought the issue before the public; New York Times reporter Daniel Goleman; and feminist activist Naomi Wolfe. For teenagers researching the issue, the book is a real find, and the annotated table of contents makes research even easier. A bibliography of further readings is appended. ~--Stephanie Zvirin