Gr 10 UpÄEleven essays by physicians, lawyers, bioethics experts, and even philosophers contribute to this emotionally charged debate. From an interview with "Dr. Death" Jack Kevorkian in 1994 to an amicus curiae brief filed in 1997, the sources included are at the heart of the current controversy. Those in favor of physician-assisted suicide cite unbearable suffering and loss of dignity and of control over bodily functions as reasons for allowing this practice. Those against it describe the abuses possible when strict guidelines are subverted as in the Netherlands and Nazi Germany. Most of the selections are just a few pages long and to the point. The longest and densest section is the brief promoting physician-assisted suicide as a constitutional right. More detailed study of factors related to terminal care and euthanasia is supported with case studies and statistics in Alison Landes's Death & Dying (Information Plus, 1996). Sunni Bloyd's Euthanasia (Lucent, 1995) presents the issues in a more inviting, illustrated format. The unique information offered by Physician-Assisted Suicide is the June 1997 Supreme Court decision on the constitutionality of the "right to die" with a physician's aid and Oregon's legalization of assisted suicide in 1994 and reaffirmation in the fall of 1997 after legal challenges. Only 3 out of 14 organizations for which contact information is appended promote assisted suicide. The numerous books and periodical articles in the bibliography were published between 1992 and 1998, making them readily accessible sources.ÄAnn G. Brouse, Big Flats Branch Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Gr. 8^-12. Would that Dolly the cloned sheep knew of the explosive controversy she would ignite upon entering the world in 1997! The 11 mostly brief essays constituting the first of these two new At Issue titles stem from the Dolly breakthrough, though they focus on the prospect of human cloning and range, not surprisingly, from passionate calls for banning human cloning experimentation on legal and ethical grounds to limited justifications. Cloning may interfere with genetic diversity, lead to the manufacture instead of the natural "begetting" of children, and bring on unscrupulous selective breeding, says the anticloning camp. Maybe cloning has a place in genetic research, and moreover, maybe it's not truly possible to create carbon copies of oneself, even with clones, counter the pro-clone researchers. An interview with scientist Ian Wilmut, of Dolly fame, is included. The second title, with 11 mostly brief articles written between 1994 and 1997, grapples with the morality and complications of assisted suicide, and includes an interview with Dr. Jack Kevorkian. The possibly unscrupulous use of this power and the doctor's commitment to preserve life counter the humane need to relieve suffering if certain conditions are met. Both titles provide current, accessible readings for students researching these popular topics, and both have extensive bibliographies and lists of organizations. --Anne O'Malley
