This is a paperbound reprint of a 2002 book. Presenting analytical text and a collection of legal documents (primarily Supreme Court decisions), Curry (history, Eastern Illinois U.) explores 20th century Supreme Court cases related to the broad question of where the line is drawn between the right to control our own bodies and the state's supposed duty to protect us from harm to our physical beings. Maintaining the common format of the series, Curry presents four chapters that in turn focus on introductory issues; social, economic, and political background; the various court decisions and actions that have shaped the development of the controversy; and the impact of the decisions on doctrinal legacies and society as a whole. Selected documents are then presented along with a chronology and an annotated bibliography. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)