Synopses & Reviews
Bioethical and medical issues are among the most important concerns facing society today. Yet many of these contemporary debates have been anticipated and addressed in literary works. Designed to meet the needs of high school students, as well as college students or those in the health care field, this reference defines and situates major bioethical and medical issues in accessible literature ranging from Mary Shelley's
Frankenstein (1818) to Margaret Edson's
Wit (1999). Included are discussions of such topics as cloning, bioterrorism, organ transplants, genetics, obesity and heart disease, AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases, and civil rights. Chapters are devoted to broad categories, with each chapter discussing two major literary works.
Tremendous advances in science and technology have made bioethical and medical issues central to contemporary philosophical debates. Many of these modern concerns have been anticipated and addressed to varying degrees in numerous literary works. Designed to meet the needs of high school students and teachers, pre-med and other college students, as well as any one in or entering a health care profession, this reference, a valuable addition to academic and public libraries, discusses literature as a means of approaching medical and bioethical issues. Chapters look at such broad topics as technology's creature, illness and culture, and end of life issues, with each chapter offering a close examination of two major literary works.
Special features include a chronology of events in literature, medicine, and science; a glossary of literary, medical, and scientific terms; and lists of movies, Web sites, books and journals, and teaching methods.
Review
"Worthwhile additions for schools with an integrated curriculum." - School Library Journal
Review
"Advances in science have brought with them their own unique ethical and medical dilemmas, bringing the discipline of philosophy directly into the world of science. Students from high school to pre-med receive a well-rounded introduction to literary references to bioethical questions, from the beings created by technology to illness and end of life issues. Topics for oral or written discussion accompany synopses of plots." - MBR Bookwatch
Review
"This resource for high school teachers and librarians describes ten accessible works of fiction that may be used to help students explore a number of contemporary issues in medicine and bioethics. The selections analyzed span two centuries, from Mary Shelley's romantic novel Frankenstein (1818) to Margaret Edson's play, Wit (1999). Supplemental materials include a glossary, a list of recommended movies, and a chronology of key events in literature, medicine, and science." - SciTech Book News
Synopsis
Tremendous advances in science and technology have made bioethical and medical issues central to contemporary philosophical debates. Many of these modern concerns have been anticipated and addressed to varying degrees in numerous literary works. Designed to meet the needs of high school students and teachers, pre-med and other college students, as well as any one in or entering a health care profession, this reference, a valuable addition to academic and public libraries, discusses literature as a means of approaching medical and bioethical issues. Chapters look at such broad topics as technology's creature, illness and culture, and end of life issues, with each chapter offering a close examination of two major literary works. Included are discussions of such critical issues as:
Cloning Bioterrorism Organ Transplants Genetics AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases Obesity and Heart Disease Civil Rights And others. Literary works covered include: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Nathaniel Hawthorne's Rappaccini's Daughter Aldous Huxley's Brave New World Robin Cook's Coma Albert Camus' The Plague David Feldshuh's Miss Evers' Boys Ken Kesey's One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest Alice Walker's Possessing the Secret of Joy John Updike's Rabbit at Rest And Margaret Edson's Wit. Special features include a chronology of events in literature, medicine, and science; a glossary of literary, medical, and scientific terms; and lists of movies, Web sites, books and journals, and teaching methods.Synopsis
A timely investigation of the interplay between literature and medical ethics, this book ponders AIDS, stem cell research and other topics through such works as Frankenstein, Brave New World, and One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest.
About the Author
MAHALA YATES STRIPLING is an independent scholar who lectures widely at such places as Yale Medical School and the University of Texas Medical Branch, and who publishes extensively in medical humanities journals. Her work has appeared in The Journal of Medical Humanities, Medical Humanities Review, Studies in Psychoanalytic Theory, and other publications.
Table of Contents
Foreword
Chronology of Events in Literature, Medicine, and Science Introduction
Technology's Creature
A Brave New World
Contagions and Isolations
Illness and Culture
End of Life: Disease and Death
Afterword
Glossary of Terms: Literary, Medical, and Scientific
Appendix A: Recommended Movies
Appendix B: Recommended Internet Sites
Appendix C: Recommended Journals and Books
Appendix D: Recommended Methods for Teaching
Index