Considering the volatile social and political issues of today, controversies and challenges to the First Amendment will be a continual point of discussion in the United States. First Amendment Rights: An Encyclopedia is a highly readable, two-volume set geared towards secondary and college students studying government, politics, or public policy. This is not a book for advanced law or graduate students. It provides greater depth than the average encyclopedia, and it is best placed among sources in a subject guide for beginning students working on a paper or project on the First Amendment.

The team of contributors assembled by Lind and Rankin are all experts and scholars in their individual fields and include professors of law, public policy, political science, education, and communication and practicing attorneys. The language is accessible; the research is thorough.

Volume 1: Traditional Issues on the First Amendment begins with a lengthy overview of the First Amendment in the context of the twenty-first century. While the First Amendment is certainly complex, the organization of this volume could be problematic for the novice. For example, the chapter “Issues and Controversies in the First Amendment” is covered in great length. Then the chapters get more specific. For “Freedom of Association,” twenty-first century issues are included in the same chapter. “Freedom of the Press” is then covered generally with a separate chapter on its twenty-first century issues. Due to the length of these chapters, this volume should have had its own index. At the end of volume 1 is an alphabetized appendix of pre-2008 cases to give additional information on the facts of the case, question, decision, and legal provision used within the chapters.

Volume 2: Contemporary Challenges to the First Amendment is the more usable of the set. It covers issues from the John Roberts Supreme Court, beginning with an overview then covering issues including Wiki Leaks, social media, electronic games, Muslims, and corporate First Amendment rights. There are bolded terms within the text that are then defined in a glossary on the last page of the chapter. This is ideal for those individuals who are new to the material. The “Notes” section, covering cases used in the text, is easy to use. The listed case names can be typed into any search engine for additional information.

This reference set compares well to similar items in the marketplace. The price is comparable and the scope of coverage is better than similar works. The e-book format will allow the necessary updates to occur seamlessly. This is a good reference source for those new to the various distinctions found within the First Amendment.