Book excerpt: Cold hard facts on the world’s hot spots. Now readers can make sense of the daily headlines with an examination of the sides and issues of evolving conflicts. This updated edition provides coverage of all of the hot conflict spots in our world today, background and history, new and added coverage of the war on terror, and up-to-date coverage on the Middle East, including Iraq. • As Iraq continues to dominate the news, there is, unfortunately, no shortage of other trouble spots—this guide looks at conflicts around the globe. • An accurate reference source for high school and college students, and a great overview for people who want more in-depth understanding of daily events.