The third edition has 120 new articles, among them Artificial nutrition and hydration, Bioterrorism, Cloning, Cybernetics, Dementia, Managed care, and Nanotechnology. Some 200 articles have been extensively revised, and 100 additional articles have new bibliographies. The alphabetical entries address a wide range of topics that raise difficult and important questions. Abortion, genetic screening, female genital mutilation, the right to die, health issues of immigration, and corporate responsibility are but a few. The contributors discuss the issues from many points of view. The abortion article includes sections covering medical perspectives, contemporary ethical and legal aspects, and Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, and Islamic religious perspectives. There are also articles about bioethics in Buddhism, eugenics, health policy, women as health-care professionals, whistle-blowing in health care, and veterinary ethics. All of the articles are signed, and all have bibliographies. Ample cross-references help readers find related useful material. A list of all the articles and a topical outline appear in volume 1. A series of appendixes offers codes, oaths, and directives related to bioethics; additional resources; key legal cases; and an annotated bibliography of literary works that have a medical component. A detailed index helps users find material that may be scattered over numerous entries, such as information about surrogate motherhood.

This new edition of a classic work, which addresses timely issues such as same-sex marriages and direct advertising of prescription drugs, belongs in all academic libraries and all but the smallest public libraries. It is an outstanding resource for students, professionals, and the interested public. RBB
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From Book News, Inc.
<:st> The 1978 first edition of this five-volume reference is cited in Books for College Libraries, 3d ed.; the second edition was published in 1995. This third edition features 448 articles, of which 120 are new and approximately 200 have been revised (by their original author, when possible). New bibliographies have been added to most of the remaining articles. New sections address issues of posthumanism (or transhumanism) and business ethics, with discussion of topics that include cybernetics, cloning, human dignity, embryonic stem cell research, nanotechnology, anti-aging interventions, health services management ethics, and managed care, among other subjects. In other sections, new topics include include bioterrorism, immigration, artificial nutrition and hydration, dementia, and rights of conscience. A substantial two-part article discusses the history and ethics of alternative medicine, and several articles are included on religious approaches, including religious aspects of circumcision, Mormonism and bioethics, and the Jehovah's Witness refusal of blood products. The signed entries begin with a history of the topic, when appropriate, and include cross-references and a bibliography. Volume 5 is notable for its appendices, which include primary documents, numerous bibliographies, and a list of additional resources. Editor Post is with Case Western Reserve U.Copyright © 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

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