Speaking for the Dead: The Human Body in Biology and Medicine

Speaking for the Dead is an incisive examination of the highly topical and often controversial issues surrounding the use of human cadavers in scientific research. Fully revised and updated to include recent developments in this area, this new edition incorporates the repeated organ scandals in the UK, body parts scandals in the United States, and the abuses of bodies in China. The book provides new material on neuroimaging, neuroethics and Alzheimer’s disease and the major ethical issues they raise for society, in addition to discussing plastination in the form of BodyWorlds types of exhibitions. As human anatomists and bioethicists, the authors offer a unique perspective on these issues, crossing the boundaries between clinical, medical, legal and ethical concerns. Their exploration of both historical and contemporary data results in a clear and comprehensive examination of issues at the forefront of bioethics. With its clear writing style and use of non-technical language Speaking for the Dead will be an essential book for all those interested in bioethics, an area which continues to increase in significance with the development of new techniques for the manipulation of human cadavers. As human anatomists and bioethicists, the authors offer a unique perspective on these issues, crossing the boundaries between clinical, medical, legal and ethical concerns. Their exploration of historical developments as well as their analyses of recent case studies result in a pertinent and comprehensive examination of issues at the forefront of bioethics.