Description
Book SynopsisOffers an overview of the scientific advances that have led to the state of genetic enhancement, and explains how these advances can be used to redefine what we think is a normal human being. This title explores the ethical dilemmas already facing researchers and medical practitioners, and the dilemmas we will all be expected to face.
Trade Review"Wondergenes is Maxwell Mehlman's wake-up call to a world that hasn't quite figured out that our genetic future is here.A whole generation of children, senior citizens, and the middle aged are drinking, injecting and pumping chemicals into their bodies to get 'an edge' in every aspect of life.Is that good? Is that fair to the rest of the world-or even the rest of the soccer team? Mehlman is brilliant, and this is the most sophisticated discussion of enhancement ever written, covering the ethical, legal and personal issues that are already on our doorstep. This book will be on the shelf of every policymaker, clergyperson, and businessnessperson who wants to 'get ahead' on the subject of 'getting ahead.'" -Glenn McGee, Editor, The American Journal of Bioethics "Mehlman deftly explores this powerfully seductive and socially destabilizing biotechnology, and authoritatively suggests legal steps we humans must take to regulate it if we are to have any real chance to garner its benefits and avoid its species-wide destructive potential. -George J. Annas, author of The Rights of Patients and c" -founder of Global Lawyers and Physicians "Wondergenes is a spirited and lively guide to the promises and perils of genetic enhancement. Well-grounded in the science, [the book] poses the central ethical questions posed by enhancement, explains the legal context, and offers intriguing suggestions for law and public policy." -Thomas H. Murray, President, The Hastings Center
Table of ContentsPreliminary Table of Contents:
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. An Announcement at the White House
2. Scientific Foundations
3. Four Revolutions
4. The Fifth Revolution
5. Safety and Effectiveness
6. Autonomy
7. Authenticity
8. Access
9. Inequality and Unfairness
10. Hubris
11. Solutions
12. Better Solutions
13. Spotting Enhancement
14. Conclusion
Notes
Index
