viii How to Use This Book
quantifi able, evidence-based information from respected sources to fully
address each question and provide readers with the information they
need to be informed citizens. Importantly, entries will also acknowledge
instances in which confl icting data exist or data are incomplete. Finally,
each entry concludes with a Further Reading section providing users
with information on other important and/or infl uential resources.
The ultimate purpose of every book in the Contemporary Debates
series is to reject “false equivalence,” in which demonstrably false beliefs
or statements are given the same exposure and credence as the facts; to
puncture myths that diminish our understanding of important policies
and positions; to provide needed context for misleading statements and
claims; and to confi rm the factual accuracy of other assertions. In other
words, volumes in this series are being crafted to clear the air surrounding
some of the most contentious and misunderstood issues of our time—not
just add another layer of obfuscation and uncertainty to the debate.
