School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up Rather than a series of point/counterpoint articles, this book contains single chapters that each pose a question, e.g., “Is human cloning ethical?” and provide background and information in support of different responses to a specific controversy. Each chapter also includes a useful selection of related primary-source material. Throughout, Roleff gives necessary background in genetics to help students understand how cloning works. The technical language becomes a bit overwhelming in the chapter “Is Embryonic Stem Cell Re-search Ethical?” when the difference between pluripotent embryonic and multi potent adult stem cells is discussed. Those concepts are tackled and explained in as simple a way as possible, but the vocabulary and concepts are understandably daunting. Still, compared to titles such as John Woodward’s The Ethics of Human Cloning (Gale, 2004), this is a more visually appealing and user-friendly title. It includes full-color graphs, charts, and photos, and the text is broken into manageable subsections. The book has information on key people and advocacy groups and a useful list of related organizations with print, phone, and Web contact information.