Focuses on the substance of American law, the processes that produce its legal principles, and the history of the Supreme Court, from its creation to the present. Overview essays address the history of such topics as citizenship, due process, Native Americans, racism, and contraception, emphasizing the social context of each and the social and political pressures that shaped interpretation.

Explores the social, medical, legal and political issues related to drugs and alcohol and associated behaviors. Includes emerging topics and developments in the many fields of addiction studies.

Covers world authors from many periods and genres, building an understanding of the various contexts -- from the biographical to the literary to the historical -- in which literature can be viewed. Identifies the significant literary devices and global themes that define a writer's style and place the author in a larger literary tradition as chronicled and evaluated by critics over time.

Provides analysis and criticism of recent novels and other works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry and drama.

Features discussion and analysis of poems of all time periods, nations, and cultures. Provides an overview of the poem and discussion of its principal themes, images, form and construction.

Presents vital information on the most-studied short stories at the high school and early-college levels. Each entry contains author biography, plot summary, characters, themes, style, historical context, critical overview, and criticism.

A cross-disciplinary source for a single, consistent reference to document and analyze periods of contemporary American social history. Covers the first decade of the 21st Century and includes key events and social history.

Covers the environmental issues for each U.S. state and Canadian province. Essays include an introduction that describes the geographical and geological features of the state/province, information on how global climate change could affect the state/province and its inhabitants, information on natural resources, energy, Green Economy, Green Jobs, and Green Building, and a special section that covers a major environmental topic in each state/province....

Explores the issues surrounding adoption by placing opinions from a wide range of sources in a pro/con format. Features articles that express various perspectives on this topic.

Includes essays on events, publications, lifestyles and individuals important to the Reform Era and eastern United States development in U.S. history.