In a nonpartisan approach to the contentious issue of abortion, Herring (library services, Winthrop U., South Carolina) provides semantic, historical, and economic context on the controversy and samples views from both sides of the public debate. In examining the larger social issues involved, he draws on views of ancient and modern philosophers, the Bible, Thomas Jefferson, and US legal cases prior to and since Roe v. Wade . Annotation (c) Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)