THE INTERNET

The latest entry in the Issues in Focus series covers the growth and development of the Internet, its history and potential future, and some of its uses, especially as it applies to children. In this context, McCormick discusses a range of issues, from control and censorship to security, spamming, privacy, and the limits to the Internet’s growth. She concludes with extensive back matter, including guides to newsgroups and organizations. The discussion of controversies is dispassionate and balanced; the author leaves the answers to some questions open. Such a thorough summary of facts and opinions on a still-new medium will be useful to students doing research, and to educators looking to lay out the facts for nervous parents. (chronology, notes, glossary, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 11-14)