Bioethics and Medical Issues in Literature

(Hardback)

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Description

A timely investigation of the interplay between literature and medical ethics Tremendous advances in science and technology have made bioethical and medical issues central to contemporary philosophical debates. Yet many of these modern concerns have been anticipated and addressed to varying degrees in numerous literary works. Designed to meet the needs of school students and teachers, pre-med and other college students, as well as anyone in or entering a health care profession, this reference work 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. 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, internet sites, books and journals, and teaching methods. Part of the Exploring Social Issues through Literature series Offers timely consideration of social and ethical issues Provides materials for interdisciplinary study of literary works Explores such canonical texts as Brave New World and Frankenstein as well as contemporary novels

Reviews

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 *
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 *
Worthwhile additions for schools with an integrated curriculum. * School Library Journal *

Author Bio

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.