An “invaluable [and] highly readable” account of the quest to map our DNA, the blueprint for life—and what it means for our future ( The Philadelphia Inquirer). Genome tells the story of the most ambitious scientific adventure of our time. By gradually isolating and identifying all the genes in the human body—the blueprint for life—scientists are closing in on the ability to effectively treat and prevent nearly every disease that strikes man, from muscular dystrophy, diabetes, and cancer to heart ailments, alcoholism, and even mental illness. Such discoveries will change the course of human life. At the same time, they raise profound ethical questions that have tremendous implications: Can insurance companies demand genetic tests to determine who poses a health risk? Should parents be able to choose their baby’s sex or eye color? Will employers screen out potential employees who are genetically susceptible to occupational health problems? An exciting true tale of discovery that is revolutionizing our world, Genome helps us understand our future.
Told with the pacing of a great suspense novel, Genome tells the very real story of what could be the most ambitious scientific research project ever undertaken: the attempt to identify all the genes in the human body; estimated to number from 50,000 to 100,000. These genes, located in the nucleus of the human cell, contain the blueprints for thousands of proteins that make up the body's tissues and vital organs, from muscles to brain cells, as well as the instructions for making the thousands of chemicals that literally give us life. By mapping the human genome, scientists can study and even reproduce the chemical components that run the human machine. This knowledge will revolutionize the treatments for and the prevention of diseases. In this newly updated edition, the authors explain how we may soon have the ability to control our genetic fate. This unprecendented power, however, presents society with new dangers. In Genome, we learn much about the fascinating challenges...both scientific and ethical...that lie ahead.
An “invaluable [and] highly readable” account of the quest to map our DNA, the blueprint for life—and what it means for our future ( The Philadelphia Inquirer). Genome tells the story of the most ambitious scientific adventure of our time. By gradually isolating and identifying all the genes in the human body—the blueprint for life—scientists are closing in on the ability to effectively treat and prevent nearly every disease that strikes man, from muscular dystrophy, diabetes, and cancer to heart ailments, alcoholism, and even mental illness. Such discoveries will change the course of human life. At the same time, they raise profound ethical questions that have tremendous implications: Can insurance companies demand genetic tests to determine who poses a health risk? Should parents be able to choose their baby’s sex or eye color? Will employers screen out potential employees who are genetically susceptible to occupational health problems? An exciting true tale of discovery that is revolutionizing our world, Genome helps us understand our future.
An indispensable book for the tens of millions of people who will inherit "trillions" of dollars in the coming decades, "How to Inherit Money" stresses the need to identify and resolve the symptoms of grief "before" making fundamental decisions about the management of an inheritance.
Trade policy has moved from the wings onto center stage. Between 1992 and 2000, US exports rose by 55 percent. By the year 2000, trade summed to 26 percent of US GDP, and the United States imported almost two-thirds of its oil and was the world's largest host country for foreign investors. America's interest in a more open and prosperous foreign market is now squarely economic. This volume presents cases on five important trade negotiations, all focused on "making the rules," or the process of establishing how the trade system would operate. The cases not only explore the changing substance of trade agreements but also delve into the negotiation process. They explore not just the what of trade, but the who, how, and why of decision-making. By examining some of the most important recent negotiations, the reader can come to understand not just the larger issues surrounding trade, but how players seek to exert influence and how the system is evolving on a day-to-day basis. This book presents a coherent description of the facts that will allow for discussion and independent conclusions about policies, politics, and processes.
Arguing that death is the central force shaping our social life and order, Michael Kearl draws on anthropology, religion, politics, philosophy, the natural sciences, economics, and psychology to provide a broad sociological perspective on the interrelationships of life and death, showing how death contributes to social change and how the meanings of death are generated to serve social functions. Working from a social as well as a psychological perspective, Kearl analyzes traditional topics, including aging, suicide, grief, and medical ethics while also examining current issues such as the impact of the AIDS epidemic on social trust, governments' use of death symbolism, the business of death and dying, the political economy of doomsday weaponry, and death in popular culture. Incisive and original, this book maps the separate contributions of various social institutions to American attitudes toward death, observing the influence of each upon the broader cultural outlook on life.
Personalized medicine is a medical paradigm that emphasizes systematic use of individual patient information to optimize that patient's health care, particularly in managing chronic conditions and treating cancer. In the statistical literature, sequential decision making is known as an adaptive treatment strategy (ATS) or a dynamic treatment regime (DTR). The field of DTRs emerges at the interface of statistics, machine learning, and biomedical science to provide a data-driven framework for precision medicine.? The authors provide a learning-by-seeing approach to the development of ATSs, aimed at a broad audience of health researchers. All estimation procedures used are described in sufficient heuristic and technical detail so that less quantitative readers can understand the broad principles underlying the approaches. At the same time, more quantitative readers can implement these practices. This book provides the most up-to-date summary of the current state of the statistical research in personalized medicine; contains chapters by leaders in the area from both the statistics and computer sciences fields; and also contains a range of practical advice, introductory and expository materials, and case studies.?
In her writings, Terry Tempest Williams repeatedly invites us as readers into engagement and conversation with both her and her subject matter, whether it is nature or society, environment or art. From her evocation, in Desert Quartet: An Erotic Landscape, of an eroticism of place that defines erotic as "in relation," to the spiritual connectivity and familial bonds she explores in Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place and the political engagement she urges in The Open Space of Democracy, much of her work is about relationship, connection, and community. Like much good writing, her books invite readers into thoughtful dialogue with the text. Frequently in demand for workshops, lectures, and other speaking venues and well known as an environmental activist, Williams has a public persona and voice almost indistinguishable from her written ones. Thus, the interviews she has often granted--in print, on the radio, on the Web--seamlessly elaborate the ideas and extend the explorations of her written texts. They also tell us much about the genesis, context, and intent of her books. With her distinctive, impassioned voice and familiar felicity of language, she talks about wilderness and wildlife, place and eroticism, art and literature, democracy and politics, family and heritage, Mormonism and religion, writing and creativity, and other subjects that engage her agile mind. The set of interviews gathered and introduced by Michael Austin in A Voice in the Wilderness represent the span of Terry Tempest Williams's career as a naturalist, author, and activist.
What does advertising do? Is it the faith of a secular society? If so, why does it inspire so little devotion? Advertising, the Uneasy Persuasion is a clear-eyed account of advertising as both business and social institution. Instead of fuelling the moral indignation surrounding the industry, or feeding fantasies of powerful manipulators, Michael Schudson presents a clear assessment of advertising in its wider sociological and historical framework, persuasively concluding that advertising is not nearly as important, effective, or scientifically founded as either its advocates or its critics imagine. ‘Dispassionate, open-minded and balanced ... he conveys better than any other recent author a sense of advertising as its practitioners understand it.’ Stephen Fox, New York Times Book Review First published in 1984.
Despite the pharmaceutical industry's notable contributions to human progress, including the development of miracle drugs for treating cancer, AIDS, and heart disease, there is a growing tension between the industry and the public. Government officials and social critics have questioned whether the multibillion-dollar industry is fulfilling its social responsibilities. This doubt has been fueled by the national debate over drug pricing and affordable healthcare, and internationally by the battles against epidemic diseases, such as AIDS, in the developing world. Debates are raging over how the industry can and should be expected to act. The contributions in this book by leading figures in industry, government, NGOs, the medical community, and academia discuss and propose solutions to the ethical dilemmas of drug industry behavior. They examine such aspects as the role of intellectual property rights and patent protection, the moral and economic requisites of research and clinical trials, drug pricing, and marketing.
Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization, Cases, 4th Canadian edition consists of 32 cases representing a variety of strategy topics and types of firms and industries. The authors have meticulously reviewed hundreds of cases to ensure that the strategic management issues included in the cases yield a rich set of learning experiences for those performing case analyses.
This text provides coverage of the managerial approach to marketing fundamentals, stressing the importance and necessity of a customer-oriented approach. Each chapter features international and ethical references, as well as managerial perspectives.
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