Shalev (Mannheim Centre for Criminology, London School of Economics, and International Centre for Prison Studies, King's College London, UK) describes the recent rise of solitary confinement in super-maximum security prisons, to question why the practice is seen as a solution to dangerous or disruptive prisoners and what its true costs are. She interviewed prison officials and architects, prisoners, mental health professionals, and legal and human rights experts to understand micro-level issues, what the reality of confinement is, and how it meets the theory of its operation. She reviews the history of solitary confinement, what the goals are, their alleged benefits, the architectural design, routines, procedures, and interactions, and how environmental and situational factors affect prison officers' perceptions and experiences of isolation. The book is based on Shalev's Ph.D. dissertation. Distributed in the US by ISBS. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)