Human Cloning and Human Dignity: The Report of the President's Council On Bioethics
Established in late 2001 by President Bush to consider the  ethical ramifications of biomedical research, the President's  Council on Bioethics is made up of 17 scholars representing  medicine, law, genetics, government, international studies,  psychiatry, philosophy, and ethics. Its first report focuses on  three major issues: cloning to produce children (reproductive  uses), cloning for biomedical research (therapeutic uses), and  various public policies that could be enacted. The council  members were divided on their recommendations regarding human  cloning, so both a majority and a minority opinion are presented  here. While both groups favored a ban on human cloning to  produce children, they disagreed in the areas of therapeutic  research; ten members recommended a four-year moratorium on  cloning for biomedical research, while seven urged the regulated  use of cloned embryos for biomedical research. Along with brief  background information on human cloning and a discussion of  terminology related to the field, the report also includes a  glossary and a bibliography. In addition, many of the members  have included a personal statement that clarifies their own  specific viewpoint. Although the prepublication version of this  report is available on the web, the reasonably priced paper copy  fairly represents the many opinions and complexities related to  human cloning, making it a worthy purchase for convenience and  archival stability. Highly recommended for all libraries.Tina  Neville, Univ. of South Florida at St. Petersburg Lib.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.