ETHICS

While purporting to lay out the components of moral decision- making for teens, the author of Should Drugs Be Legalized? (1990) occasionally confuses heroism with ethics. Unfortunatley, the book's put together in a somewhat backward fashion—a rather preachy discussion of altruism (which could convince kids they'll never measure up) precedes a worthwhile presentation of personal philosophies and the development of an individual moral compass—but the strength here is in the latter part. There, Terkel poses ``What would you do?'' dilemmas (albeit jumping from topic to topic) and includes fine sections on empathy, the role of communication in developing tolerance, and difficult decisions when the best choice may be the one that at first seems ``wrong'' (as in pulling the plug). There's much of value here, then, but it takes some sorting out. Glossary; bibliography; notes; index. (Nonfiction. 10+)