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Religion and the Law: A Dictionary
Reviews / Journal of Government Information 28 (2001) 567 – 605
569
amount of context and uses detail to create clarity, so that one does not have to be an expert in Japanese politics to understand the essays on Japanese political cartoons and debate in the Japanese diet, yet this volume remains best suited for collections that serve researchers and advanced students in specialized areas of the academy. Jennifer Burek Pierce School of Library and Information Science Catholic University of America 620 Michigan Avenue Washington, DC 20064, USA PII: S1352-0237(02)00347-7
Religion and the Law: A Dictionary Christopher Thomas Anglim. (1999). Santa Barbara, Ca: ABC-CLIO. 451 pp. ISBN 1-57607028-X, US$55.00 Bioethics, Health Care, and the Law: A Dictionary Richard Hedges. (1999). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. 234 pp. ISBN 0-87436-761-1 US$55.00 Immigration and the Law: A Dictionary Bill Ong Hing (1999). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. 400 pp. ISBN 1-57607-120-0 US$55.00 Webster once defined a dictionary as a reference book containing words and their meanings in alphabetical sequence. These three dictionaries, and others in ABC-CLIO’s Contemporary Legal Issues series, meet that simple criterion but offer much more than words and their definitions. The volumes under review resemble specialized encyclopedias more than dictionaries—one cannot help but wonder about the publisher’s marketing of these useful reference works as dictionaries. Each volume includes an introduction followed by pertinent concepts, cases, statutes, people, books, and organizations. The volumes on immigration and religion are more historical in nature, as they include topics such as the Bracero Program and Displaced Persons Act (immigration volume) and Blue Laws and Home Schooling (religion). The entries range in length from a few sentences to several pages—the divorce entry (religion) and the entry on AIDS (bioethics and health care) are five pages. Terms are defined in a concise manner and more complex concepts or topics are discussed in a legal context, all without excessive use of legalese. For relevant court cases, the case is defined as it relates to the legal issue. An example is the landmark Bob Jones v. United States (1983), where the Supreme Court held a private school could not claim tax-exempt status. Statutes are also defined in relation to the topic, such as the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. The one-page entry outlines the act, legislative history, and its impact. Many living individuals such as Mark Silverman, a leading expert on asylum law, are included, as are significant names
570
Reviews / Journal of Government Information 28 (2001) 567 – 605
from history. The bioethics and health care volume deals with far more topics and issues than case law and people, reflecting the recent emphasis on medicine and the law. Yet, the result is generally the same—these are useful, concise, but still relatively expensive reference volumes aimed at public and academic libraries as well as practitioners engaged in administrative and legal office assignments. Each volume closes with an indispensable index, a table of cases, and a reading list. The religion volume also includes a table of statutes and a far more extensive reading list than the other two volumes. The introductory remarks in each volume also vary—from an extensive essay on immigration policies to a tightly written summary of health care law.
1. Immigration and the Law The immigration volume, with 358 total entries, is aimed at a general audience with an emphasis on contemporary issues. The inclusion of a number of individuals currently active in immigration and related law circles sets this work apart from the other two. The editor, Bill Ong Hing, a law professor at the University of California-Davis and director of the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, even includes a two-page entry on himself. A litany of recent court cases helps to demonstrate the evolution of immigrants and legal matters, as do the many brief essays on topics such as the Mexican–American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and terrorist activities often associated with foreign nationals. In an extensive appendix, Hing provides copies of eight federal government forms related to immigration and naturalization.
2. Bioethics, Health Care, and the Law Edited by Richard Hedges of Ohio University’s Health Sciences Department, this volume is a significant addition to a rapidly changing body of literature. Scrutiny and regulation targeted at the health care industry, to say nothing of changes in health care as the result of expanding technology, make this volume a challenge for the editor but a valuable resource. Well-worn topics such as euthanasia and abortion are covered in depth but so are societal issues like AIDS, managed care, and artificial insemination—in all a total of 161 separate entries. The emphasis is not so much on case law as it is on social implications and the legal standing of ethical dilemmas facing health care providers. As this area of law changes, the publisher will need to respond to an evolving body of case and statute law, but the volume is a solid reference tool. Given the attention paid to DNA by courts, the lack of an entry on it is a surprising omission.
3. Religion and the Law Nothing stirs emotions quite like reactions to religion. The Supreme Court’s summer 2000 ruling in Santa Fe School District v. Doe evoked responses from across the nation—studentled prayer before high school football games was held unconstitutional. Edited by Chris
Reviews / Journal of Government Information 28 (2001) 567 – 605
571
Anglim (law and librarianship in the Houston area), the religion volume includes 291 entries spanning topics from cults to the Scopes trial with an emphasis on case law—over 500 cases are cited. The volume is well written, especially as to historical coverage. Individuals are covered within topics, not in separate entries. The essay on religious broadcasting is exceptional, but is not the exception. Anglim handles ticklish and controversial issues with fair yet critical treatment. Of the three volumes reviewed, this is the best. In summary, one has to question the decision to purchase so specialized a source as these three are. With so much information readily available on the Internet, why buy a relatively expensive book? Yet, students will find answers here they cannot locate so easily, and libraries will find these good sources for ready reference. Offices in hospitals, churches, government agencies, and a myriad of other sites can turn to these and other volumes in ABC-CLIO’s Contemporary Legal Issues series for reliable, readable, and concise information. Other volumes on employment, education, consumer protection, and children complement what the publisher is doing with a timely, useful series. Boyd Childress Library of Architecture, Design, and Construction Auburn University Auburn, AL 36849-5606, USA PII: S1352-0237(02)00348-9
‘We the Peoples:’ The Role of the United Nations in the 21st Century Kofi A. Annan, Department of Public Information, United Nations, New York 2000, 80 pp. UN Sales No. E.00.I.16, ISBN 92-1-100844-1, US$10.00 From September 6 to 8, 2000, 187 world leaders met in New York for the United Nations Millennium Summit (United Nations, 2000e). Much of the work of the summit was based on the blueprint provided by United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, in ‘We the Peoples:’ The Role of the United Nations in the 21st Century. In this 80-page document, Annan lays out his vision of the aims and goals of the United Nations for the next century, noting that: The report identifies some of the pressing challenges faced by the world’s people that fall within the United Nations ambit. It proposes a number of priorities for Member States to consider, and it recommends several immediate steps that we can take at the Summit itself, to lift people’s spirits and improve their lives. ( p. 6)
The main concern of the publication, as evidenced by the title, is people. Annan observes that: for the United Nations, success in meeting the challenges of globalization ultimately comes down to meeting the needs of peoples. It is in their name that the Charter was written; realizing their aspirations remains our vision for the twenty-first century. (p. 14)
569
amount of context and uses detail to create clarity, so that one does not have to be an expert in Japanese politics to understand the essays on Japanese political cartoons and debate in the Japanese diet, yet this volume remains best suited for collections that serve researchers and advanced students in specialized areas of the academy. Jennifer Burek Pierce School of Library and Information Science Catholic University of America 620 Michigan Avenue Washington, DC 20064, USA PII: S1352-0237(02)00347-7
Religion and the Law: A Dictionary Christopher Thomas Anglim. (1999). Santa Barbara, Ca: ABC-CLIO. 451 pp. ISBN 1-57607028-X, US$55.00 Bioethics, Health Care, and the Law: A Dictionary Richard Hedges. (1999). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. 234 pp. ISBN 0-87436-761-1 US$55.00 Immigration and the Law: A Dictionary Bill Ong Hing (1999). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. 400 pp. ISBN 1-57607-120-0 US$55.00 Webster once defined a dictionary as a reference book containing words and their meanings in alphabetical sequence. These three dictionaries, and others in ABC-CLIO’s Contemporary Legal Issues series, meet that simple criterion but offer much more than words and their definitions. The volumes under review resemble specialized encyclopedias more than dictionaries—one cannot help but wonder about the publisher’s marketing of these useful reference works as dictionaries. Each volume includes an introduction followed by pertinent concepts, cases, statutes, people, books, and organizations. The volumes on immigration and religion are more historical in nature, as they include topics such as the Bracero Program and Displaced Persons Act (immigration volume) and Blue Laws and Home Schooling (religion). The entries range in length from a few sentences to several pages—the divorce entry (religion) and the entry on AIDS (bioethics and health care) are five pages. Terms are defined in a concise manner and more complex concepts or topics are discussed in a legal context, all without excessive use of legalese. For relevant court cases, the case is defined as it relates to the legal issue. An example is the landmark Bob Jones v. United States (1983), where the Supreme Court held a private school could not claim tax-exempt status. Statutes are also defined in relation to the topic, such as the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. The one-page entry outlines the act, legislative history, and its impact. Many living individuals such as Mark Silverman, a leading expert on asylum law, are included, as are significant names
570
Reviews / Journal of Government Information 28 (2001) 567 – 605
from history. The bioethics and health care volume deals with far more topics and issues than case law and people, reflecting the recent emphasis on medicine and the law. Yet, the result is generally the same—these are useful, concise, but still relatively expensive reference volumes aimed at public and academic libraries as well as practitioners engaged in administrative and legal office assignments. Each volume closes with an indispensable index, a table of cases, and a reading list. The religion volume also includes a table of statutes and a far more extensive reading list than the other two volumes. The introductory remarks in each volume also vary—from an extensive essay on immigration policies to a tightly written summary of health care law.
1. Immigration and the Law The immigration volume, with 358 total entries, is aimed at a general audience with an emphasis on contemporary issues. The inclusion of a number of individuals currently active in immigration and related law circles sets this work apart from the other two. The editor, Bill Ong Hing, a law professor at the University of California-Davis and director of the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, even includes a two-page entry on himself. A litany of recent court cases helps to demonstrate the evolution of immigrants and legal matters, as do the many brief essays on topics such as the Mexican–American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and terrorist activities often associated with foreign nationals. In an extensive appendix, Hing provides copies of eight federal government forms related to immigration and naturalization.
2. Bioethics, Health Care, and the Law Edited by Richard Hedges of Ohio University’s Health Sciences Department, this volume is a significant addition to a rapidly changing body of literature. Scrutiny and regulation targeted at the health care industry, to say nothing of changes in health care as the result of expanding technology, make this volume a challenge for the editor but a valuable resource. Well-worn topics such as euthanasia and abortion are covered in depth but so are societal issues like AIDS, managed care, and artificial insemination—in all a total of 161 separate entries. The emphasis is not so much on case law as it is on social implications and the legal standing of ethical dilemmas facing health care providers. As this area of law changes, the publisher will need to respond to an evolving body of case and statute law, but the volume is a solid reference tool. Given the attention paid to DNA by courts, the lack of an entry on it is a surprising omission.
3. Religion and the Law Nothing stirs emotions quite like reactions to religion. The Supreme Court’s summer 2000 ruling in Santa Fe School District v. Doe evoked responses from across the nation—studentled prayer before high school football games was held unconstitutional. Edited by Chris
Reviews / Journal of Government Information 28 (2001) 567 – 605
571
Anglim (law and librarianship in the Houston area), the religion volume includes 291 entries spanning topics from cults to the Scopes trial with an emphasis on case law—over 500 cases are cited. The volume is well written, especially as to historical coverage. Individuals are covered within topics, not in separate entries. The essay on religious broadcasting is exceptional, but is not the exception. Anglim handles ticklish and controversial issues with fair yet critical treatment. Of the three volumes reviewed, this is the best. In summary, one has to question the decision to purchase so specialized a source as these three are. With so much information readily available on the Internet, why buy a relatively expensive book? Yet, students will find answers here they cannot locate so easily, and libraries will find these good sources for ready reference. Offices in hospitals, churches, government agencies, and a myriad of other sites can turn to these and other volumes in ABC-CLIO’s Contemporary Legal Issues series for reliable, readable, and concise information. Other volumes on employment, education, consumer protection, and children complement what the publisher is doing with a timely, useful series. Boyd Childress Library of Architecture, Design, and Construction Auburn University Auburn, AL 36849-5606, USA PII: S1352-0237(02)00348-9
‘We the Peoples:’ The Role of the United Nations in the 21st Century Kofi A. Annan, Department of Public Information, United Nations, New York 2000, 80 pp. UN Sales No. E.00.I.16, ISBN 92-1-100844-1, US$10.00 From September 6 to 8, 2000, 187 world leaders met in New York for the United Nations Millennium Summit (United Nations, 2000e). Much of the work of the summit was based on the blueprint provided by United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, in ‘We the Peoples:’ The Role of the United Nations in the 21st Century. In this 80-page document, Annan lays out his vision of the aims and goals of the United Nations for the next century, noting that: The report identifies some of the pressing challenges faced by the world’s people that fall within the United Nations ambit. It proposes a number of priorities for Member States to consider, and it recommends several immediate steps that we can take at the Summit itself, to lift people’s spirits and improve their lives. ( p. 6)
The main concern of the publication, as evidenced by the title, is people. Annan observes that: for the United Nations, success in meeting the challenges of globalization ultimately comes down to meeting the needs of peoples. It is in their name that the Charter was written; realizing their aspirations remains our vision for the twenty-first century. (p. 14)