For Americans whose views lie somewhere in the middle of the abortion debate, Meyers (philosophy and religion, U. of Southern Mississippi) argues that philosophy provides a neutral forum for considering both sides. He takes neither side but instead uses philosophical methods to investigate the common arguments for and against abortion, assess them from an unbiased position, and show that emotional issues can be considered rationally. He argues that since philosophy involves questioning basic assumptions and does not assume any specific worldview, it can provide objective clarity. Among the questions he examines are the definitions of life and the soul, the implications of the idea that life begins at conception, responsibility and how each side of the debate defines the term differently, the status of the fetus as a potential person, the application of the golden rule, the question of the woman's bodily integrity vs. the fetus's right to life, assessing the consequences of abortion, and how attitudes about it reflect character, looking for flaws in arguments, judging the morality of abortion on the basis of the better arguments, and allowing readers to use critical thinking to make up their own minds. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)