The Pursuit of Perfection

What does it mean to live in a time when medical science can not only cure the human body but also reshape it? How should we as individuals and as a society respond to new drugs and genetic technologies? Sheila and David Rothman address these troubling questions with a singular blend of history and analysis, taking us behind the scenes to explain how scientific research, medical practice, drug company policies, and a quest for peak performance combine to exaggerate potential benefits and minimize risks. The Rothmans bring an authoritative clarity to a subject often obscured by rumor, commerce and inadequate reporting, revealing just what happens when physicians view patients' unhappiness and dissatisfaction with their bodies-short stature, thunder thighs, aging-as though they were diseases to be treated.

Product details

• Authors: David Rothman, David J. Rothman, Sheila Rothman, Sheila M. Rothman
• Publisher: Vintage USA
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback
• Released: 09.11.2004
• EAN: 9780679758358
• ISBN: 978-0-679-75835-8
• No. of pages: 320
• Dimensions: 135 mm x 202 mm x 16 mm
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Natural sciences (general); Non-fiction book