The Death Penalty in America: Current Controversies

by Hugo Bedau (Editor)

In The Death Penalty in Current Controversies , Hugo Adam Bedau, one of our preeminent scholars on the subject, provides a comprehensive sourcebook on the death penalty, making the process of informed consideration not only possible but fascinating as well. No mere revision of the third edition of The Death Penalty in America --which the New York Times praised as "the most complete, well-edited and comprehensive collection of readings on the pros and cons of the death penalty"--this volume brings together an entirely new selection of 40 essays and includes updated statistical and research data, recent Supreme Court decisions, and the best current contributions to the debate over capital punishment. From the status of the death penalty worldwide to current attitudes of Americans toward convicted killers, from legal arguments challenging the constitutionality of the death penalty to moral arguments enlisting the New Testament in support of it, from controversies over
the role of race and class in the judicial system to proposals to televise executions, Bedau gathers readings that explore all the most compelling aspects of this most compelling issue.

Genres: Law, Justice, True Crime, Nonfiction

544 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1964

About the author

Hugo Adam Bedau was the Austin B. Fletcher Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus, at Tufts University, and is best known for his work on capital punishment. He has been called a "leading anti-death-penalty scholar" by Stuart Taylor Jr., who has quoted Bedau as saying "I'll let the criminal justice system execute all the McVeighs they can capture, provided they'd sentence to prison all the people who are not like Timothy McVeigh."

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything you ever wanted to know about the inhumane and archaic practice that we call "capital punishment" (it sounds so soft and fluffy when you say it like that). In this collection of essays, Bedeau is careful not to hit the reader over the head with his opposition to the death penalty, but I must say, the facts don't paint a flattering portrait of the United States and our refusal to dispense with this outmoded, unjust and cruel form of punishment. It's a little dense at times, but this is a must-read for anyone on the fence with regard to this issue.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely one of the most important books for the socially aware. Whether or not you are for or against capital punishment, this book is a must read. This book analyzes the imperfections of the system, and the impracticality of trying a fair case by "death-qualified" jurors. I cannot emphasize enough - this book has nothing to do with changing your mind regarding capital punishment. It is an honest look at the system as it currently is. Regardless of your ideology, I recommend!

[Anne Ishii · Rating 5 out of 5]

As far as nonfiction goes, this is the most important book I read in the last decade.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learned so much while reading this book. I enjoyed it very much.