Recognizing that much of the literature addressing this topic is not only out-of-date but also decidedly slanted against the death penalty, Professor Evan Mandery set about creating a book that would challenge readers to carefully evaluate their beliefs and assumptions on each of the various issues surrounding this controversial subject. The product of his efforts, Capital Punishment: A Balanced Examination, is an innovative, balanced, and comprehensive overview of capital punishment. It also probes the constitutional implications of its implementation in America, and ponders some of the hard questions concerning its applications, such as how long capital appeals take.

Mandery’s examination of capital punishment requires the reader to think about some basic philosophical questions, such as: Would you ever kill? Each chapter begins with a primer of the issue at hand, followed by the data and critical documents necessary to make an educated assessment, ending with essays offering differing viewpoints by some of the best minds in the country, including Stephen Nathanson, Hugo Adam Bedau, Michael Radelet, Scott Turow, Carol and Jordan Steiker, and Franklin Zimring.