Review by Choice Review
DNA sequencing, DNA fingerprinting, transcription, translation, restriction enzymes, introns, restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs), variable number tandem repeats (VNTRs), positional cloning: Can a professional philosopher make all these buzzwords and acronyms of molecular biology and molecular genetics accessible and relevant to the general public, in 100,000 words or less, in a style that is lively, easy to read, and attractively packaged? Judging from The Lives to Come, the answer is a resounding yes. Kitcher does all this and more. His book is a guide to the current status of DNA technology, a primer in its esoteric techniques, a glimpse at its history, an evaluation of its ability to improve (but change) our lives, and a caution on the price such improvement/change will entail. Kitcher does a masterly job of laying out the science underlying DNA testing, DNA fingerprinting, and genetic screening--the here and now--and of pointing toward gene replacement and national databases containing every individual's DNA profile--the near now and future. It really is, as he says in chapter 5, "mice today, humans tomorrow." He integrates the ethical, political, economic, social, philosophical, medical, and scientific dimensions of our newfound ability to reconstruct ourselves in our own images, to repair damage, and to cure our genetic diseases. Excellent glossary. General; undergraduates through professionals. B. K. Hall Dalhousie University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
Kitcher's incisive reflections on the moral issues inherent in human genetic research are chiefly addressed to professionals (medical or ethical personnel) but, aided by Kitcher's generalist style, this book ultimately concerns everyone. As the popularity of amniocentesis indicates, people are facing hard moral issues on a daily basis, for if that test discloses a gene connected with disease or deformity, then would-be parents must decide whether abortion is justifiable. Where along the continuum between preventing suffering and full-blown eugenics, Kitcher's thesis asks, does one draw the moral line? First off, Kitcher explains the structure of DNA and the technologies for mapping and replicating its genes. He then discusses how medicine applies current knowledge before devoting the second half of his text to the issue of making moral choices, categorized as privacy rights, social responsibility, and the fate of the unborn. In the latter regard, Kitcher controversially advocates "utopian eugenics," which will please no one in the polarized abortion debate. Some will see in Kitcher's analysis a horrific rulebook for controlling heredity; others a brave set of bulwarks against violations of rights, but no one can risk ignoring the issues he raises. --Gilbert Taylor
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Kitcher has written a searching, valuable guide to the immediate practical consequences and long-range implications of the new molecular genetics. The next decade, he predicts, will make possible hundreds, even thousands, of genetic tests to determine whether people carry genes that predispose them to various diseases or disabilities. He argues that the potential benefits of genetic testing must be carefully weighed against whether effective treatment exists. Stressing that gene replacement therapy is only one among many possible interventions, he foresees a patchwork of therapies, including dietary and environmental changes, to bring relief from hereditary disorders. A philosophy professor at UC San Diego, Kitcher believes that basic medical insurance should be available to everyone, yet he controversially suggests that insurers could demand higher premiums of those born with unlucky genes, provided that the difference in cost did not debar people from receiving coverage. He also wrestles thoughtfully with such issues as genetic screening of job applicants, whether the merciful abortion of a malformed fetus is morally justified and the use of DNA evidence in the courtroom. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
In the early 1990s, several books appeared discussing the promise and pitfalls of the human genome project, the international plan to map human DNA. Now, a second wave of titles makes it clear that the future has arrived. Two excellent examples are Jeff Lyon and Peter Gorner's Altered Fates (LJ 1/95) and this new book by Kitcher (The Advancement of Science, Oxford, 1993), a philosopher with a background in biology. The subject is genetic ethics. Is it proper to modify a person's genes for less than life-threatening medical reasons? Should people be tested routinely for genetic diseases during physical exams? As a precondition for employment? Or even, most troubling of all, prior to birth? Kitcher investigates these and other complex questions with a reasoned, pragmatic voice, but he does not eschew controversial topics‘most notably, the abortion of severely malformed fetuses. He concludes that the nightmares of eugenics and genetic persecution could happen, but only if they are permitted by an unenlightened and uninvolved citizenry. Conversely, if intelligent choices are made, much human suffering could be eliminated. This is not the first, final, or definitive book on genetic ethics; it is, however, one that no future writers on the subject can ignore.‘Gregg Sapp, Univ. of Miami Lib. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
No doubt about it: The pace of biomedical progress raises religious, moral, and legal issues that demand attention. Here a noted writer on science and society addresses them. In the past, Kitcher (Philosophy/Univ. of Calif., San Diego; Vaulting Ambition, 1985, etc.) has taken to task creation science and sociobiology. Here he has no ax to grind with regard to the science itself--exemplified by the aim of the Human Genome Project to map all the genes in the human repertoire--but is concerned about how the new knowledge will be used. Not surprisingly, he argues strongly that no one should be penalized for carrying genes for disease or susceptibility to disease, as when blacks who inherited sickle cell trait were denied admission to the Air Force Academy. Unfortunately, there is the potential for even greater injustice in the future as medical records may reveal the genetic dossier of a newborn, which could then be read as destiny. To counter such determinism Kitcher argues that changes in development, the effects of other genes, a different environment, and the potential for genetic fixes all mean that genotype does not predict phenotype. However, he also admits that in some cases, the autosomal dominant Huntington's disease gene, for example, there appears to be no way to counter the eventual dementia and death of those who inherit it. Kitcher discusses at length the concept of ``utopian eugenics,'' which in an ideal society would allow reproductive choices based on education and without coercion. This, he avers, may be the road we have already embarked upon; if so, we had better ensure that there is freedom and access to care for all. Readers who are interested in the science of the genetics revolution will find answers here, but there are no easy answers to the social and ethical issues it raises. Kitcher lays out the territory and makes it clear that failing to explore it would be folly. (illustrations, not seen)
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