This volume of Opinions Throughout History looks at the history and evolution of "free speech" and the freedom of expression and also of efforts to limit this right through censorship. While Americans are accustomed to viewing the United States as the exemplar of free speech and the free press, this has not always been the case. Until relatively recently in the nation's history, censorship in the media in the public discourse was quite common. Though the First Amendment guarantees are a traditional and cherished part of American culture, the idea of free speech has changed over time, as have attitudes about when it is acceptable to censor and control speech. Topics covered in this volume will include political debates, the function of the free press, censorship of literature, video games, and various kinds of art, and the debate over free speech and corporations.

Although J.D. Salinger is especially renowned for his novel The Catcher in the Rye, he has also authored many other noteworthy works, including a number of significant short stories. Salinger is also known for his mysteriously reclusive lifestyle—a lifestyle that only stimulated people's interest in his personality and personal habits. Catcher is one of the most widely-read novels about young people ever written, and today, after 70 years, still remains a celebrated work about alienated youth. This volume examines Salinger and his works from numerous points of view, adopting biographical, historical, sociological, and aesthetic perspectives, among others.

Biology is the natural science that studies life and living organisms. A career in biology can mean the study of evolution, the study of health and disease, the study of the preservation of the natural environment, the study of pollen, or the study of animal behavior, to name a few. Biologists can work in a classroom, in a laboratory, on a farm, or under the ocean, so someone who is interested in a career in this field has many options to choose from.

Microbiology is the study of the invisible world of microorganisms, organisms so small that microscopes and other special equipment are needed to directly observe them. They play a crucial role in maintaining the Earth's atmosphere and help decompose organic matter. Microbiology plays a role in a great variety of areas, including optimizing soil for agriculture, developing preservatives and pharmaceuticals, genetic engineering, and developing climate change models. The discovery of microbes was instrumental in controlling infectious disease outbreaks that had, for centuries, wiped out entire populations.