In these compelling books, facts about drugs are augmented by a look at the sociology of users and anecdotes about individuals in whose lives drugs have featured for one reason or another. Relevant images, straightforward charts, and interesting sidebars (as about temperance lecturer Carrie Nation, who used a hatchet to destroy saloons) appear throughout. Each book contains a bibliography and/or a reading list. Websites. Glos., ind.

Gr 7 Up-Gottfried includes historical aspects of alcohol and society, including humans' first experimentations with fermentation, Prohibition, and the temperance movement; related laws and legislation; and definition, causes, treatment, and effects. Levert discusses the effects of steroids on the body, health risks, the law, prevention, and treatment. The medicinal use of steroids is very briefly mentioned. Menhard addresses the types of inhalants, the history, dangers, effects, available help for abuse of these drugs, and the laws regulating them. All three titles have readable, well-organized texts, and good use of color, graphics, photographs, tables, diagrams, and labels helps to spark readers' interest. Many of the sidebars are stories of people affected by these drugs. Addresses for organizations that can help are appended. Balanced, quality discussions attractively packaged.-Beth Jones, Shelby County High School, Shelbyville, KY Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.