In twelve essays on such diverse Smithsonian Institution holdings as the Hope Diamond, the Wright Flyer, wooden Zuni carvings, and the Greensboro, North Carolina Woolworth lunch counter that became a symbol of the Civil Rights movement, <i>Exhibiting Dilemmas</i> explores a wide range of social, political, and ethical questions faced by museum curators in their roles as custodians of culture. <br><br>Focusing on the challenges posed by the transformation of exhibitions from object-driven &ldquo;cabinets of curiosities&rdquo; to idea-driven sources of education and entertainment, the contributors&mdash;all Smithsonian staff members&mdash;provide a lively and sometimes provocative discussion of the increasingly complex enterprise of acquiring and displaying objects in a museum setting.