Review by Choice Review
Barash (independent consultant) addresses important topics including cloning, genetic modification of foods, metabolism of drugs, privacy, genes and behavior, and tissue banks in this thought-provoking book. She raises questions that most students will not have considered, e.g., the rightness of pursuing the Human Genome Project for possible medical benefits when millions of US citizens have no health insurance, and the most important ethical issues associated with animal cloning. Barash does not prescribe answers, but points out the complexities of the questions. The book would have benefitted from more careful editing. Readers will discover spelling errors, such as "Civic War" for "Civil War," and both "prostrate" and "prostate" in the same sentence. Errors of fact occur in the brief section on the history of genetics. Although the work generally contains sufficient references, the author fails to document some interesting facts. The chapter on ethical analysis lacks references. Additionally, there are some errors in the references elsewhere. These faults raise some questions about the accuracy of what is presented. Includes case studies, examples, class exercises, and appendixes. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through researchers/faculty. M. LaBar emeritus, Southern Wesleyan University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
