Recent technological developments have opened up the possibility of colonizing other planets. Some experts argue that space colonization will be essential for the survival of the human species. Students will analyze and evaluate experts' opinions on space colonization in order to reach their own conclusions, and expand their horizons.

What is gender? Is gender changeable? Does gender always match up with one's sexuality or outward appearance? These are questions at the forefront of contemporary debates for increased rights for trans men, trans women, and others who do not conform to our society's gender norms. Students will read the experiences of gender non-conforming individuals, as well as court decisions related to recent legal cases and media coverage, in order to better understand the challenges they face today.

Perspectives on minimum wage have changed significantly over the past twenty years, as seen in the increased momentum of movements around the country to increase workers' salaries. Critics of an increased minimum wage argue that it will lead to mass lay-offs and increased unemployment. Proponents argue the opposite, that it will jump start our economy. In this book, economists, the media, the courts, and even ordinary people will weigh in on this contentious issue, allowing students to evaluate the minimum wage from all sides.

As civil conflict and increasingly dire economic situations spread across areas of the globe, refugees have left their homes in countries such as Afghanistan, Syria, and Somalia in search of a better future for themselves and their children. Their often-dangerous plights have received much media attention and have led to increased calls for international humanitarian aid, and, in some cases, for increased border control. In Critical Perspectives on Immigrants and Refugees, students will analyze this important issue and form their own conclusions based on opinions and data from experts, advocacy groups, and the media.

The scientific community today largely agrees that climate change is occurring, and that it could have devastating consequences. Still, many Americans are unsure as to what climate change is and what higher temperatures and rising sea levels could mean for them. This essential volume includes scientific data and experts' opinion, along with ordinary people's viewpoints, to examine this important issue. Students will evaluate the evidence to reach a conclusion to one of the most important issues of our time.

Waves of support for the legalization of marijuana are sweeping across many states. In the wake of such change, this text analyzes what experts say on the topic, both for and against, juxtaposed with court decisions, the work of advocates on both sides, and the words of everyday people. Students will analyze these diverse viewpoints in order to draw their own conclusions.

Readers of this transportive text will learn how much the writers of the movie The Martian really got right when they described how a stranded astronaut survived on the red planet. They will also investigate the conditions that actual Mars colonists will face. Since the 1800s, sci-fi writers have imagined colonizing other planets. Today, science fiction is becoming reality, as scientists plan actual colonies in the solar system. This volume considers some of the challenges in colonization of the Moon, Mars, asteroids, and the moons of Jupiter and Saturn, and looks at the ethics involved in taking over another planet.

A game-changing book on the origins of life, called the most important scientific discovery 'since the Copernican revolution' in The Observer.