About this item
Torture. According to Henry Shue, professor of politics and international relations at the University of Oxford in England, "No other practice except slavery is so universally condemned in law and human convention. Yet, unlike slavery ... torture is widespread and growing." Why is torture so common? Is it an unavoidable component of human psychology? Exposing Torture tackles these complex questions, delving into the history of torture around the world, from the flayings, burnings, and other methods of torture in ancient societies to the humiliating forms of psychological and sexual torture of the twenty-first century. But is torture an effective means of controlling human behavior? Can it help root out information about terrorism and prevent loss of human life? Over the centuries, many people have supported the point of view that it can, while others vehemently disagree.
About the Author
Hal Marcovitz has been making his living as a writer for more than a quarter-century. He has worked as a reporter and columnist for several daily newspapers, and can now be found reporting for The Morning Call of Allentown, PA, where he covers government and politics in the Bucks County Courthouse in suburban Philadelphia. Hal is also the author of more than 50 nonfiction books for young readers. He has written biographies of Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa, civil rights leader Al Sharpton, farm labor leader Cesar Chavez, and film director Ron Howard. He has also written about the lives of several presidents, including Bill Clinton, John Adams, James Monroe, Theodore Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy. Hal lives in Chalfont, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Gail, and daughters Ashley and Michelle.
