Magnetic Appeal: MRI and the Myth of Transparency
"Every chapter ofMagnetic Appealinterrogates MRI from a different angle, each in turn questioning cultural assumptions in conjunction with the social, political, and economic relations that support and define the use of MRI. Taken together the chapters open a fascinating window into the realm of medical imaging technology. . . . A valuable read for those interested in medical technology, trends in healthcare, and science and technology studies,Magnetic Appealbrings to light the multiple factors that constitute our faith in medical technology."—Aleia Clark,Sociology of Health and Illness(Volume 31, Number 7, 2009)"When a doctor orders an MRI, patients rarely think twice. After reading Magnetic Appeal you will be surprised and unsettled to find out how this seemingly infallible tool achieved its status as cultural icon and paradigmatic technology for health care in the twenty-first century."—Meika Loe, Colgate University, author of The Rise of Viagra"Kelly A. Joyce's intriguing and insightful book about the emergence and use of MRI technology is a benchmark work in understanding the impact of visual technologies on medicine and society. Joyce's analysis of how images become authoritative knowledge will challenge notions of 'seeing is believing. Magnetic Appeal is a major contribution to medical sociology as well as science studies."—Peter Conrad, Harry Coplan Professor of Social Sciences, Brandeis University"Magnetic Appeal gives depth and breadth to our understanding of the practices and political economy of MRI. The book offers a rich ethnography of MRI laboratory and clinical work. I regard it as a definitive work in the STS study of biomedical imaging technologies."—Lisa Cartwright, University of California, San Diego