Recensori in anteprima

The Book of Questions meets What If? in this profound, provocative, and addictively engaging book of medical cases that asks, "What would you do?" “An original, compelling, and provocative exploration of ethical issues in our society, with thoughtful and balanced commentary. I have not seen anything like it.” --Alan Lightman, author of Einstein’s Dreams Bedside Dilemmas brings the most challenging and unsettling ethics controversies from contemporary science and medicine to the proverbial water cooler. Drawing upon the author’s two decades of teaching medical ethics at America’s top universities and medical schools and his work as a practicing psychiatrist, this innovative book asks readers, when faced with complex, unsettling scenarios readers, What would you do? Is it ethical for an insured woman to pose as her uninsured twin in order to obtain lifesaving medical attention for her? A couple wants to conceive a deaf baby, which is now possible via medical technology, but should this be allowed? A young man wants to donate a kidney to his father, but a tissue match reveals that he is actually not the biological son. Should this information be revealed to either father or son? A mentally disabled man says no to a medical procedure that could save the life of his brother. Should he be forced? Some cases are pulled from today’s headlines, others are loosely based on cases reported in professional journals. A few (identities disguised) come from the author’s own clinical encounters. Every scenario is followed by a brief reflection of how various modern thought leaders (ethicists, philosophers, courts, political commentators, research scientists, and medical professionals) have addressed the underlying issues. In a society where much of the public views many hot-button ethical issues in stark, black-and-white terms, the scenarios in Bedside Dilemmas are designed to defy easy answers and to stimulate thought. Profound, provocative, and addictive, it’s impossible to read just one.