About the Book
Writing in their famous Harvard Law Review article of 1890, Louis Brandeis and Samuel Warren asserted what many have considered one of the most cherished American values: the right to be let alone. Yet in this post-9/11 world, personal privacy is more threatened than ever. This book provides students and general readers a comprehensive overview of privacy in contemporary America. Included are some 225 alphabetically arranged entries written by more than 100 expert contributors. Entries cover such topics as the USA PATRIOT act, abortion rights, wiretapping, telemarketing, identity theft, DNA databases, Internet and email privacy, and numerous other concerns. Entries cite works for further reading, and the Encyclopedia closes with a bibliography of books, websites, organizations, and films.
New threats to privacy have arisen in the face of competing social, political, and economic demands, rapid technological change, and an intrusive and voyeuristic mass media. Citizens are barraged on a daily basis with stories of corporate data mining, government surveillance programs, identity theft, and computer hacking of personal information. As a result, citizens are becoming increasingly concerned about their personal privacy as well as their privacy rights.
This encyclopedia, the first of its kind, comprehensively overviews various aspects of privacy throughout U.S. history, including significant legal cases, events, laws, organizations, individuals, technology, and terms. With some 225 alphabetically arranged entries written by more than 100 leading scholars and experts in the field, this inclusive and authoritative work will appeal to those interested in both historical and contemporary notions of privacy in the United States. Readers will learn of the significance of technology in today's society, its helpful and harmful effects on citizens' privacy, and what to expect in the future. Entries cite print and electronic resources, and the Encyclopedia closes with a listing of books, organizations, websites, films, and other sources of information.
Table of Contents:
Alphabetical Listing of Entries
Topical Listing of Entries
Preface
Chronology of Selected Privacy-Related Events
The Encyclopedia
Resource Guide
Index
About the Editor and Contributors
About the Author :
William G. Staples is currently Professor and Chair of Sociology at the University of Kansas, the oldest sociology department in the United States. His books include Power, Profits, and Patriarchy: The Social Organization of Work at a British Metal Trades Firm, 1791-1922 (with Clifford L. Staples) (2001), Everyday Surveillance: Vigilance and Visibility in Postmodern Life (2000), and Castles of Our Conscience: Social Control and the American State, 1800-1985 (1991).
Review :
This two-volume set presents information and analyses of privacy and privacy-related issues in 226 entries written by over 100 experts. It covers various historic and current aspects of the topic, including legal, political, social, and economic issues. From Abortion to Zone of Privacy, each signed entry provides extensive coverage of this complex topic. Many entries contain cross-references and suggested readings. Each volume begins with lists of entries in alphabetical order and by topic, as well as a chronology of selected events. Volume 2 includes a resource guide to readings; Web sites, organizations, and films on the topic; editors' and contributors' information; and a detailed subject index. No comparable work exists. This excellent resource is more comprehensive and up-to-date than Privacy in the Information Age (CH, Jul'00, 37-6024). Essential. Lower-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers; general readers.
This admirably produced encyclopedia is highly recommended for academic and public libraries.
Privacy, which Americans value as much as freedom, is a thing of the past. That is why it is possible to fill two large volumes with ideas, concepts, laws, cases, people, and other material, legitimately related to privacy and its abrogation….High school students would have no trouble with these texts, which are concomitantly useful for professionals. Therefore, individuals and scholars interested in the topic would be well-served by purchasing a personal copy of this recommended set; no library--public, academic, or special--should fail to include it in its reference collection.
This work discusses the issues and controversies regarding privacy in the U.S. Arranged alphabetically, the encyclopedia covers 226 topics, including Atomatic teller machine, Credit rating, Electronic surveillance, Gossip, and Two-way mirrors, to name only a few. The entries range from a few paragraphs (Password protection) to several pages (Philosophical foundations of privacy), and each one includes a bibliography and cross-references. Topical and alphabetical lists of entries enhance the reference value of this volume. Especially useful are the numerous entries on court cases, with superb bibliographic references. The contributors are mostly law professors or other faculty and graduate students knowledgeable on the wide range of privacy issues….[t]his work is an outstanding source containing many hard-to-find topics and bibliographic references….[h]ighly recommended.
This two-volume encyclopedia compiled by Staples explores cultural, social, and legal issues of privacy in the contemporary United States. The 226 alphabetical entries range from brief technical explanations of various technologies to extended meditations on, for example, the philosophical foundations of privacy. Coverage includes key concepts, events, legal cases and laws, organizations, technological developments, major figures, and ethical debates. In making his selections, Staples sought to ensure that different perspectives were included, especially those concerned with gender….A chronology of select events precedes the entries and the second volume concludes with a subject index and a resource guide to books, websites, organization, and films.
