Elon University School of Law’s Professor Victor Streib has released a new edition of his book, Streib’s Death Penalty in a Nutshell. It covers both the substantive and the procedural law of the death penalty and begins with arguments for and against the death penalty and an explanation of its basic constitutional challenges and limitations. Professor Streib covers capital crimes and defenses, as well as trial level and post trial procedural issues. Other topics include race and gender bias, executing the innocent, and international and foreign law issues. This book, which serves both as supplemental reading for death penalty courses and as a concise, narrative explanation of death penalty law, is current as of July 2008. Copies of the book can be purchased here.