A few brief observations written at the request of others to confront and counteract the obvious bias portrayed throughout Mrs. Spencers book, "Cult Insanity".

The bestselling authors of "Finding God in the Lord of the Rings" team up again in a study of Philip Pullmans popular "His Dark Materials" fantasy series. Released to coincide with the feature film, this book equips parents, teachers, and readers to better understand Pullmans troubling work.

Since the industrialization and urbanization of the Western workforce, tanned skin has been perceived increasingly as attractive and fashionable for naturally light-skinned individuals. However, in addition to causing tanning, photo-aging, and other health effects, ultraviolet radiation (UV) is a well-known carcinogen. Despite wide-spread awareness of UV risks, tanning has become increasingly popular in several Western countries including the USA. While millions of individuals tan indoors each day, relatively little is known about this phenomenon. This book fills that gap by providing an overview of indoor tanning, reasons for its popularity, its risks including skin cancers, and the public health context surrounding the behavior. We have invited some of the preeminent experts in the field to summarize the existing scientific literature for each of the chapters. Shedding Light on Indoor Tanning is an up-to-date and comprehensive book that provides a unique and essential overview of the most significant current issues related to indoor tanning for scientists, educators, students, clinicians, and the general public interested in dermatology, aesthetic trends, skin care, and skin cancer.

This revealing, disturbing, and thoroughly researched book exposes a dark side of faith that most Americans do not know exists or have ignored for a long time—religious child maltreatment. After speaking with dozens of victims, perpetrators, and experts, and reviewing a myriad of court cases and studies, the author explains how religious child maltreatment happens. She then takes an in-depth look at the many forms of child maltreatment found in religious contexts, including biblically-prescribed corporal punishment and beliefs about the necessity of "breaking the wills" of children; scaring kids into faith and other types of emotional maltreatment such as spurning, isolating, and withholding love; pedophilic abuse by religious authorities and the failure of religious organizations to support the victims and punish the perpetrators; and religiously-motivated medical neglect in cases of serious health problems. In a concluding chapter, Heimlich raises questions about children’s rights and proposes changes in societal attitudes and improved legislation to protect children from harm. While fully acknowledging that religion can be a source of great comfort, strength, and inspiration to many young people, Heimlich makes a compelling case that, regardless of one’s religious or secular orientation, maltreatment of children under the cloak of religion can never be justified and should not be tolerated.

Increasingly, German Studies programs include courses on the Holocaust, but suitable course materials are often difficult to find. Teachers in higher education will therefore very much welcome this volume that examines and reflects both the practical and theoretical aspects of teaching about the Holocaust. Though designed primarily by and for North American Germanists and German Studies specialists, this book will prove no less useful for teachers in other countries and associated disciplines. It presents and describes successful Holocaust-related courses that have been developed and taught at U.S. and Canadian colleges and universities, demonstrating the depth, breadth, and variety of such offerings, while remaining mindful of the instructor's special moral responsibilities. Reflecting as it does, the innovative Holocaust pedagogy in North American German and German Studies, this collection serves the needs of educators who wish to revise or update their existing Holocaust courses and of those who are seeking guidance, ideas, and resources to enable them to develop their first Holocaust course or unit.