The pursuit of perfection

the promise and perils of medical enhancement

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Last edited by MARC Bot
3 days ago | History

The pursuit of perfection

the promise and perils of medical enhancement

  • 0 Ratings
  • 1 Want to read
  • 0 Currently reading
  • 0 Have read

Publisher description: 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 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. They present a fascinating and factual story from the rise of estrogen and testosterone use in the 1920s and 1930s to the frenzy around liposuction and growth hormone to the latest research into the genetics of aging. The Rothmans reveal 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. The Pursuit of Perfection takes us from the early days of endocrinology (the belief that you are your hormones) to today's frontier of genetic enhancements (the idea that you are your genes). It lays bare the always complicated and sometimes compromised positions of science, medicine, and commerce. This is the book to read before signing on for the latest medical fix.

Publish Date
Publisher
Pantheon Books
Language
English
Pages
292

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Previews available in: English

Edition Availability
Cover of: The pursuit of perfection
The pursuit of perfection: the promise and perils of medical enhancement
2004, Pantheon Books
in English
Cover of: The Pursuit of Perfection
The Pursuit of Perfection: The Promise and Perils of Medical Enhancement
November 4, 2003, Pantheon
Hardcover in English - 1st edition

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Book Details


Edition Notes

Published in
New York, NY

Classifications

Library of Congress
RA, RA418.5.M4 R68 2003

The Physical Object

Pagination
xxi, 292 p. :
Number of pages
292

ID Numbers

Open Library
OL22568256M
Internet Archive
pursuitofperfect0000roth
ISBN 10
0679439803
LCCN
2003046739
OCLC/WorldCat
52127818
Library Thing
697658
Goodreads
4250618

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History

Download catalog record: RDF / JSON
3 days ago Edited by MARC Bot import existing book
January 8, 2023 Edited by MARC Bot import existing book
July 31, 2019 Edited by MARC Bot associate edition with work OL3348101W
May 15, 2019 Edited by MARC Bot import existing book
December 10, 2009 Created by WorkBot add works page