The teenage pregnancy rate has dropped in recent years, yet each year more than 320,000 teen girls in the United States give birth. This volume examines the changing attitudes of teenagers toward contraception, abstinence, sexually transmitted diseases, media influences, and other issues involving young people and sex.

Islam is considered the worlds fastest-growing religion, and today more than 420 million Africans follow the Islamic faith. Since Islam was introduced to the continent during the seventh century a.d., it has had a profound political and cultural influence on Africa. This book traces the historical spread of Islam throughout Africa. It also examines current issues and controversies surrounding the Muslim faith in Africa, including fundamentalist interpretations of Islam, efforts to impose I...

The Statue of Liberty was given to the United States as a gift from the people of France in 1886. It was originally meant as an emblem of the friendship between the two nations, but over the years it has come to mean much more. The Statue of Liberty has come to represent the promise of America—a promise that drew tens of millions of immigrants from other countries, seeking greater freedom and opportunities. For many of these immigrants, Lady Liberty was the first thing they saw when they a...

Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among adolescents in the United States; in a recent study by the Gallup Youth Survey, 47 percent of teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 said they know someone who has tried to take their own lives. This volume examines the cause of teenage suicide and explores such issues as teens and guns as well as suicide rates among minorities.

Most young people in the United States today are willing to give something back to their communities. A recent report showed that each year an estimated 13 million teenagers donate more than 2.4 billion hours of their time to charitable causes, and the Gallup Youth Survey has found that roughly one-third of all teens participate in volunteer work. This volume examines the opportunities young people have for volunteering, and explores the issue of school-mandated community service.

Statistics show that 3,200 couples file for divorce every day in the United States, which clearly has an impact on the strength of families. Young people feel the painthe Gallup Organization has found that 75 percent of teenagers between 13 and 17 believe divorce is too easy to get. This volume examines the influences parents and families play in the lives of young people in the United States.

In 1836, a small group of Texan settlers fighting for their freedom from Mexico fortified an old Spanish mission near the village of San Antonio de Béxar. Surrounded and badly outnumbered by a larger Mexican army, the defenders of the Alamo vowed to fight rather than surrender. Their sacrifice allowed other Texans the opportunity to organize and prepare their army to face the Mexicans, and win freedom for Texas at the Battle of San Jacinto six weeks later. Today the Alamo remains a shrine ...

Over the past few decades, landmark legal cases, medical discoveries, and movies and television shows have helped increase acceptance of homosexuality in American culture. Young peoples opinions have played an important part in this growing tolerance. Studies show that more than 60 percent of young adults consider homosexuality acceptable. This volume will examine teen attitudes toward homosexuality, issues such as gay marriage and civil unions, and the experiences of gay teens.

For more than 200 years, U.S. presidents have lived and worked in the executive mansion at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C.—commonly known as the White House. The executive mansion received its nickname in 1798, when its stone exterior was painted white to seal it from moisture and prevent cracking. As the official home of the president, the White House has come to symbolize the power and authority of the U.S. government. Within its walls, decisions are made that affect the liv...

On July 8, 1776, the bell in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia began to ring, letting the citizens know that an important announcement was about to take place. It was the reading of the Declaration of Independence, a statement by representatives of the 13 American colonies that they would no longer be subject to the rule of the British king. Since then, the Liberty Bell, with its famous crack, has been a symbol of American freedom and patriotism.

Most young people report that they believe in God, yet recent surveys by the Gallup Organization have shown that fewer than half of all teenagers in the United States regularly attend church. Is organized religion losing its influence on young people? How many teenagers think about careers in the clergy? This volume examines the influence of religion and values on young people today.

Like its neighbors on the Arabian Peninsula, the Republic of Yemen has a long and rich history. The southern Arabian region, which present-day Yemen shares, was once the home of the Sabaean kingdom. Led by the queen of Sheba, the kingdom formed an alliance with King Solomon, as recorded in the Old Testament. In the era of the burgeoning spice trade, the people of the Yemen region, which was advantageously located along the sea routes to Asia, had opportunities to attain great wealth. Howev...