Books with author Hal Marcovitz

The use of designer drugs such as LSD, Ecstasy, and methamphetamines is unfortunately widespread among young adults, particularly in club or party settings. These drugs are especially risky because they are made in batches in individual home labs, so there is no way to tell how much of any dangerous substance was used in their creation. Readers learn the risks associated with using many of these designer drugs. The accessible text, complemented by full-color photographs and in-depth sidebars, gives them the facts they need to make safe choices.

No issue seems to divide Americans as much as race. Nearly five decades after the adoption of federal civil rights laws, Americans are still wrestling with such issues as interracial marriage and affirmative action. Statistics show that teenagers are just as unsure of where they stand on such issues as adults. The role of race in the lives of young people is explored in this book.

In November 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected as the 16th president of the United States. By the time Lincoln took office in March 1861, the country was in crisis, as 11 states had declared their intention to secede and form a new nation, the Confederate States of America. More than four bloody years of civil war followed. Lincoln managed the government's effort to put down the rebellion and restore harmony to the country, and in the process set the nation on the path toward ending slavery forever. The Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., commemorates Lincoln's accomplishments, as well as his personal belief in the dignity and inherent equality of all people. It has been the site of many large gatherings and protests. For millions of Americans, the Lincoln Memorial remains an inspiring symbol of freedom.

Like its neighbors on the Arabian Peninsula, the Republic of Yemen has a long and rich history. The southern Arabian region, which present-day Yemen shares, was once the home of the Sabaean kingdom. Led by the queen of Sheba, the kingdom formed an alliance with King Solomon, as recorded in the Old Testament. In the era of the burgeoning spice trade, the people of the Yemen region, which was advantageously located along the sea routes to Asia, had opportunities to attain great wealth. However, the British and other powers to the north eventually made their own claims on trade in the region. In the years after losing control of their great ports, the Yemenis have endured long periods of poverty and armed conflict, much of which has been waged between their rival northern and southern states. A much-needed unification between the north and south finally occurred in 1990, but Yemen still struggles to resolve its regional differences and compete with the oil-rich states of the Persian Gulf. Discusses the geography, history, economy, government, religion, people, foreign relations, and communities of Yemen.

For more than six decades, Rock 'n' Roll music has been a voice of youth. This uniquely American style of music has had an enormous impact on the fashion, lifestyles, and attitudes of young people, both in the United States and elsewhere around the world. During the 1960s, rock music helped to change attitudes toward civil rights for African Americans. In the 1980s, rock helped to subvert the governments of the Soviet Union and its Eastern Bloc satellites, leading to the collapse of Communism. Major rock concert events like the Concert for Bangladesh (1971), Live Aid (1985), and Live 8 (2005) have raised awareness, and money, for worthwhile causes. Rock 'n' Roll music continues to evolve, as well as to influence self-expression in young people today.

Experts say that in recent years there has been an epidemic of cheating among young people in the United States. Cheating is more than just students sneaking the answers to school tests; broadly defined, it is breaking the rules to get ahead. Examples of cheating today range from illegally downloading music from the internet, which cheats the artists out of royalties, to using performance-enhancing drugs to gain an athletic advantage. This book explores the ways teens cheat, examines their reasons for doing so, and discusses efforts to teach ethics to young people.

Most young people report that they believe in God, yet recent surveys by the Gallup Organization have shown that fewer than half of all teenagers in the United States regularly attend church. Is organized religion losing its influence on young people? How many teenagers think about careers in the clergy? This volume examines the influence of religion and values on young people today.

In 1787, the young United States was suffering from a governmental crisis. The original form of government created to unite the 13 states did not work well, and it was clear that something new was needed. In Philadelphia, representatives of the states met to create a new system of government. The document they produced, the U.S. Constitution, remains the framework for our government more than 225 years later. The U.S. Constitution sets out the duties of the various branches of the federal government, as well as the powers reserved by the states. It also delineates the rights that every individual possesses. To understand what being an American means, all citizens should understand the U.S. Constitution.