Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Mythology at times is mistaken for being real, or at least what potentially could be real. The author of this book recognizes this fact, and that mythology should not be the standard for public policy in biotechnology, even approximately. The book sometimes reads as a literature survey, but its contents put the debate on some of the more exotic uses of biotechnology in a rational context. Its author implores readers to back off from their affective reactions to biotechnology and use the cognitive regions of their brain to evaluate the moral and ethical considerations behind biotechnology, particularly in the use or creation of what are called chimeras and hybrids.
The focus in the book is on the use of these entities for human health but the rights of animals and their welfare is not ignored. Fear and foreboding have frequently set the standard for policy-making in biotechnology, and those individuals who are spreading such attitudes will probably not take the time to study this book, or even the biology behind chimeras and hybrids. That is unfortunate of course, but readers who are genuinely interested in the social ramifications of this technology will definitely benefit from reading this book, if even at minimum to get an understanding of just what is currently possible in biotechnology. The mainstream press would definitely be a targeted audience, mainly because it seems that journalists are the first to exaggerate the developments in the biological sciences. It could also be of great interest to those who are working in the field of moral psychology and neuroethics, since the author touches on the reasons why some find these kind of biological developments "repugnant" at first glance, only to accept them after sustained cognitive reflection.
As a book on politics and policymaking, it is not surprising that the author does not spend time debating whether or not chimeras or hybrids should be created for their own sake. One can only suppose that she does not entertain this possibility, only for example giving a very cursory commentary on `transhumanism', which is the label given to those who believe in unbridled research into creating new biological entities, whether they are crossed with humans or not. This reviewer enthusiastically supports this kind of research. Some may label these creations as monsters, but this reviewer would call it progress. It used to be said that if humans were meant to fly they would have had wings. But one day humans will (and should) have wings, and they will fly.
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